Disclaimer: All of this is Marvel's
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"Now be reasonable," Logan intoned.
"Reasonable?" Anne barked, "I am being reasonable. Dis woman tried t' kill me. Now I pay it back in kind."
Nicky nodded and the woman stepped forward allowing herself to be seen clearly for the first time, somewhat. Her features were indiscript. There was nothing remarkable about her. She was strikingly plain with no outstanding point on her body. She could have been anyone, but Logan felt that somehow he knew her. The only thing worth notice was that she wore a long gray cloke with a hood and carried a staff.
"Don' involve y'selves, X-men," Nicky warned, "dis is between de two o' dem."
The X-men stood still, too shocked to move. They were about to watch Donnie, no Anne, murder someone. How could they allow it? Yet, they couldn't move.
"Lu, I brought you some t'ings." He reached into a side bag and pulled out two short swords, "T' even t'ings up," he explained.
Anne nodded in apprectiation and took the blades greatfully. She nodded her head to the other woman, "Shall we?" The other woman nodded back and lifted her staff in defense. The two circled each other as Logan and Nicky had earlier, staring intently at each other. No one was sure who attacked first, they moved at each other simultaneously. The odd woman blocked with her staff as Anne's blades cut into the wood. The other woman pushed her away and swung. Anne deflected it easily. It went on like this for a long time.
Logan stood there watching the two women, their moves, the looks on their faces. He listened to their voices and inhaled their scents, trying to figure out who the other woman was. Suddenly it hit him, but before he could say anything, Cyclops reacted.
"Please, Anne stop, no good will come of this! Killing her will not bring back your father!"
Anne flinched for a moment, almost allowing herself to be bludgened by the other woman's staff.
"A good trick, Summers," she seethed, "but dat won' save her. You're a clever man, it's too bad you have to die."
Cyclops's jaw dropped.
"Oh no, not today Monsieur. You have yet to commit your crime, but when you do, you die."
"I will not allow it!" the other woman shrieked.
"An' how you gonna stop me when your dead?" Anne smirked and intensified her attack. The other woman could barely keep up.
Logan grabbed Nicky by the scruff of the neck, "Stop this, now!" he growled.
"I am sorry monsieur, but dat is impossible. My sister swore vengence and she will take it."
"You'll stop her or I will personally rip you to shreads!"
"You can try mon ami, but I don' t'ink you'll get very far. An' besides what would dat accomplish? She'd still kill her."
"You're just as contrary as that damned Cajun..." Logan stopped, "Gambit..."
"Dere, you figured it all out on your own. Better hurry, it won' be long now before she go to dat big garden in de sky," he gave Logan a wicked smile.
Logan turned and ran to the medbay. Gambit was still asleep next to Rogue.
"Cajun get up! Now!" Gambit lifted his head groggily.
"Was wrong?"
"Anne, I mean Donnie's in trouble."
Gambit looked at him strangely, "What you mean?"
"She's about to do something she's gonna regret, now come on!"
"But Rogue?"
"She ain't wakin' up anytime soon, Gumbo. Now move it!"
Sadness flickered in Gambit's eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry, but there are more pressing issues right now. I can't reach her an' since Rogue's out, you're the next best candidate. Now please, come on."
Gambit stared at him for a few minutes and finally got up from his spot.
"Great, let's go. Oh, and one thing, she's got her memory back, call her Anne."
Gambit looked a little stunned as he absorbed the information and then nodded.
"Le's do dis."
Gambit rounded the corner to find Anne fighting a strange woman. "Looks like she winnin'. I don' see what de problem is."
"We can't calm her down and we're not about to let this lady die."
"Gotcha."
"Anne," he called out, "Calm down petite. Le's talk dis out."
Nicky shook her head, "Call her Lu, she'll listen better."
"Lu!" he called again, "back on down. Dere be no need to fight. I know you better dan dis, dis ain' like you. Come on, we go play some cards."
Anne stopped and turned. She stared straight at Gambit, as if she were looking at someone she had lost and just found again. "Non, C'est impossible," she muttered.
The other woman took that opportunity to strike. She hit Anne in the head with her staff, knocking her to the ground. She placed the staff firmly on the ground and began whispering a chant. Anne rose dizzily from the ground as a faint mist formed around her. As she came to her senses, her eyes filled with horror and she began to scream. "Please no! I'm sorry! I thought...I mean if I had... Please, forgive me!" she fell in a heap on the floor, muttering incoherently. The X-men stared at the other woman.
"What did you to her?" Cyclops asked, amazed.
"A simple trick really," she smiled. "Not exactly the desired effect, but she is neutralized."
"What are you?" Cyclops asked again.
"She's a sorceress," Logan answered him for her.
The woman looked at Logan, "So you have figured me out? I should have expected it from you. You after all know me the best. That is, next to my dear friend Jean."
"Who are you?" Beast demanded.
"It's of no matter, I've done what I came here to do."
"And what is that," Xavier finally spoke.
"To make sure she doesn't cause anymore trouble. Isn't that right?" she said as she grabbed Anne by the hair and lifted her from the ground. "Tell them what you see!" she commanded, "Tell them!"
"I..." she began.
"Dat's enough!!" a voice ordered. "You shall not harm another hair on her head!" A man stepped out of the shadows dressed in white with white hair and red on black eyes.
"What is this? Grand Central?" Logan demanded.
"Witness," Bishop breathed.
The woman dropped Anne to the ground and she scrambled to her feet, staring at the man before her. Her eyes were full of wonder and amazement. Suddenly, she came to her senses and charged at the man. She ran into him full force and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt.
Nicky was still stunned, "Mon Dieu! Pappa, we t'ought you were dead!"
"You t'ought wrong, petit, now come here and give yo' Pappa a hug." Nicky ran over and joined his sister. The man, now identified as Witness, stared angrily at the woman.
"Stormy," he began, "I would have never o' t'ought you had it in you. Cyclops yes, but you? Dey just pups."
The woman just stared at him, stunned and speachless. Her features began to sharpen, revealing creamy brown skin, flowing white hair, and liquid blue eyes. It was Storm, a few years older. None of the X-men knew what to say or to think. Storm was standing right beside Logan, but she was also in front of them.
Cyclops stepped forward, "Does somebody want to explain what's going on?"
Witness looked at him and began to laugh. "O' course," Witness smiled, "but perhaps someplace more comfortable and where de injured can be left in peace, non?"
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There it is. It's probably pretty obvious what's going on, but still, try and keep your mouths shut. I really don't wanna ruin it for anyone just in case. Go review now, please. Thanks. See you in 4!
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"Now be reasonable," Logan intoned.
"Reasonable?" Anne barked, "I am being reasonable. Dis woman tried t' kill me. Now I pay it back in kind."
Nicky nodded and the woman stepped forward allowing herself to be seen clearly for the first time, somewhat. Her features were indiscript. There was nothing remarkable about her. She was strikingly plain with no outstanding point on her body. She could have been anyone, but Logan felt that somehow he knew her. The only thing worth notice was that she wore a long gray cloke with a hood and carried a staff.
"Don' involve y'selves, X-men," Nicky warned, "dis is between de two o' dem."
The X-men stood still, too shocked to move. They were about to watch Donnie, no Anne, murder someone. How could they allow it? Yet, they couldn't move.
"Lu, I brought you some t'ings." He reached into a side bag and pulled out two short swords, "T' even t'ings up," he explained.
Anne nodded in apprectiation and took the blades greatfully. She nodded her head to the other woman, "Shall we?" The other woman nodded back and lifted her staff in defense. The two circled each other as Logan and Nicky had earlier, staring intently at each other. No one was sure who attacked first, they moved at each other simultaneously. The odd woman blocked with her staff as Anne's blades cut into the wood. The other woman pushed her away and swung. Anne deflected it easily. It went on like this for a long time.
Logan stood there watching the two women, their moves, the looks on their faces. He listened to their voices and inhaled their scents, trying to figure out who the other woman was. Suddenly it hit him, but before he could say anything, Cyclops reacted.
"Please, Anne stop, no good will come of this! Killing her will not bring back your father!"
Anne flinched for a moment, almost allowing herself to be bludgened by the other woman's staff.
"A good trick, Summers," she seethed, "but dat won' save her. You're a clever man, it's too bad you have to die."
Cyclops's jaw dropped.
"Oh no, not today Monsieur. You have yet to commit your crime, but when you do, you die."
"I will not allow it!" the other woman shrieked.
"An' how you gonna stop me when your dead?" Anne smirked and intensified her attack. The other woman could barely keep up.
Logan grabbed Nicky by the scruff of the neck, "Stop this, now!" he growled.
"I am sorry monsieur, but dat is impossible. My sister swore vengence and she will take it."
"You'll stop her or I will personally rip you to shreads!"
"You can try mon ami, but I don' t'ink you'll get very far. An' besides what would dat accomplish? She'd still kill her."
"You're just as contrary as that damned Cajun..." Logan stopped, "Gambit..."
"Dere, you figured it all out on your own. Better hurry, it won' be long now before she go to dat big garden in de sky," he gave Logan a wicked smile.
Logan turned and ran to the medbay. Gambit was still asleep next to Rogue.
"Cajun get up! Now!" Gambit lifted his head groggily.
"Was wrong?"
"Anne, I mean Donnie's in trouble."
Gambit looked at him strangely, "What you mean?"
"She's about to do something she's gonna regret, now come on!"
"But Rogue?"
"She ain't wakin' up anytime soon, Gumbo. Now move it!"
Sadness flickered in Gambit's eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry, but there are more pressing issues right now. I can't reach her an' since Rogue's out, you're the next best candidate. Now please, come on."
Gambit stared at him for a few minutes and finally got up from his spot.
"Great, let's go. Oh, and one thing, she's got her memory back, call her Anne."
Gambit looked a little stunned as he absorbed the information and then nodded.
"Le's do dis."
Gambit rounded the corner to find Anne fighting a strange woman. "Looks like she winnin'. I don' see what de problem is."
"We can't calm her down and we're not about to let this lady die."
"Gotcha."
"Anne," he called out, "Calm down petite. Le's talk dis out."
Nicky shook her head, "Call her Lu, she'll listen better."
"Lu!" he called again, "back on down. Dere be no need to fight. I know you better dan dis, dis ain' like you. Come on, we go play some cards."
Anne stopped and turned. She stared straight at Gambit, as if she were looking at someone she had lost and just found again. "Non, C'est impossible," she muttered.
The other woman took that opportunity to strike. She hit Anne in the head with her staff, knocking her to the ground. She placed the staff firmly on the ground and began whispering a chant. Anne rose dizzily from the ground as a faint mist formed around her. As she came to her senses, her eyes filled with horror and she began to scream. "Please no! I'm sorry! I thought...I mean if I had... Please, forgive me!" she fell in a heap on the floor, muttering incoherently. The X-men stared at the other woman.
"What did you to her?" Cyclops asked, amazed.
"A simple trick really," she smiled. "Not exactly the desired effect, but she is neutralized."
"What are you?" Cyclops asked again.
"She's a sorceress," Logan answered him for her.
The woman looked at Logan, "So you have figured me out? I should have expected it from you. You after all know me the best. That is, next to my dear friend Jean."
"Who are you?" Beast demanded.
"It's of no matter, I've done what I came here to do."
"And what is that," Xavier finally spoke.
"To make sure she doesn't cause anymore trouble. Isn't that right?" she said as she grabbed Anne by the hair and lifted her from the ground. "Tell them what you see!" she commanded, "Tell them!"
"I..." she began.
"Dat's enough!!" a voice ordered. "You shall not harm another hair on her head!" A man stepped out of the shadows dressed in white with white hair and red on black eyes.
"What is this? Grand Central?" Logan demanded.
"Witness," Bishop breathed.
The woman dropped Anne to the ground and she scrambled to her feet, staring at the man before her. Her eyes were full of wonder and amazement. Suddenly, she came to her senses and charged at the man. She ran into him full force and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shirt.
Nicky was still stunned, "Mon Dieu! Pappa, we t'ought you were dead!"
"You t'ought wrong, petit, now come here and give yo' Pappa a hug." Nicky ran over and joined his sister. The man, now identified as Witness, stared angrily at the woman.
"Stormy," he began, "I would have never o' t'ought you had it in you. Cyclops yes, but you? Dey just pups."
The woman just stared at him, stunned and speachless. Her features began to sharpen, revealing creamy brown skin, flowing white hair, and liquid blue eyes. It was Storm, a few years older. None of the X-men knew what to say or to think. Storm was standing right beside Logan, but she was also in front of them.
Cyclops stepped forward, "Does somebody want to explain what's going on?"
Witness looked at him and began to laugh. "O' course," Witness smiled, "but perhaps someplace more comfortable and where de injured can be left in peace, non?"
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There it is. It's probably pretty obvious what's going on, but still, try and keep your mouths shut. I really don't wanna ruin it for anyone just in case. Go review now, please. Thanks. See you in 4!