It was supposed to be easy for Gambit. Scope out the place and leave. Xavier said it may be a mutant experiment Center, not the Hospital for Disturbed Children it claimed to be.
Gambit was not expecting to get caught, nor was he expecting to share a dark cell with a girl, well woman who would soon become his best friend, confidant and after many adventures, his lover.
He knew someone was in the cell with him. Years as a thief had taught him this. But considering this was a center for disturbed children and also a mutant experiment center, he let things be.
~Scope out de center and leave, de professor said. A two hour mission he said. Should be at de mansion now, watching de game and drinking a beer. But non, I 'ad to get caught!'~ Gambit thought muttering to himself as he paced back and forth in the cold, dark cell. A flicker of movement caught his eye as he turned around.
She was as pale as ivory and tinier than Jubilee. Her hair was long, tangled and the color of tiger. Her eyes were white and her voice was soft. 'Hello.'
She was very pretty. ' Bonjour Petite, Ca va?' The Cajun said, giving her a smile.
'You have a very handsome smile, sir.' A weak smile showing on her tiny face.
'Call me Gambit, Non? What's your name?'
'Experiment 225.' Her voice was quick and loud, she replied walking up to the Cajun. 'You have nice eyes, may I have a closer look at them?'
~Mon Dieu, she barely reaches my shoulder. So tiny and frail looking.~ He thought, reaching out and stroking her cheek.
'Sure t'ing petite.' He said crouching down in front of her.
Slowly Experiment 225 ran her hands over the Cajun's face, her touch as light as a feather.
'They look like they burn. Do they hurt you much? And would you like the bindings on your hands removed?'
'Non, Gambit's eyes not hurt. Oui, I would like de bindings removed very much. But how you gonna do dat, petite?'
He didn't know her powers. She always forgot though, oh the irony. She bit her lip as the ivory claws shot out of her knuckles. 'With these.'
Blood poured from her knuckles as the ivory claws found their way out of her knuckles, Gambit thought. Like Wolverine, he wondered what other powers this pretty little woman fille had.
'How long you been here petite?' Gambit asked as he watched the girl delicately cut the bindings off his hands.
'13 years, give or take a few months.' she answered, her concentration on the bindings and gloves surrounding his hands.
'Why dey put me in the same cells as you petite?'
'They forgot about me. I make them forget actually. Then they can't hurt me. And I can free other mutants when they forget about me.' She remarked casually as she freed Gambit's hands.
'Forget you? 'Explain dis to me sil vous plait?'
' I can make people forget…', her voice faded off.
'And I can make them remember. A lot of people don't like to remember.' Her voice became harsh and slightly angry. ' Maybe they shouldn't do things that they don't want to remember.'
Somebody hurt her. Why didn't she make herself forget? He'd ask that later. Once they were outta dis hell whole. He watched as she gathered her knees up to her chest. Looking so frail and innocent. Da Cajun was troubled.
'Petite, can de Gambit hold you? He dun like de dark none.'
He liked the dark just fine. 225 knew this. But she was so lonely, always alone. She couldn't make the mutants forget her, but they did. She saved them and still she was alone. Maybe, for just a few minutes she wouldn't be alone or forgotten. Taking a few steps into the Cajuns arms, she felt herself relax.
'What dey do here petite?' Gambit was curious, they should have freed him, or killed him by now.
He smiled at her content sigh. ' They want your mutant genes, Gambit. They experiment on children with them. But it never turns out correctly, always side effects. Everything has to be perfect.'
Gambit stiffened as the girl, no woman, shuddered in his arms shuddered. Experiments on children. Would it never stop? Sometimes de Cajun wish he was back at home, in the New Orleans with Papa LeBeau, stealing and drinking. The underworld of New Orleans was far less disturbing den this.
'What kind of side effects petite?'
'I was born with my powers to make humans forget and remember so those have no side effects. But my hands, well nothing heals. I have to get the other mutants ready to go. Before Dalen gets here.' She said, standing up and disappearing into the floor.. Leaving the Cajun, thinking about his cell mate by himself in the dark.
~*
'Gambit, you have to go! Now!' 225 anxiously prodded the Cajun man in the shoulder. He was awake in seconds. ' Gambit! Come on! You have to leave! Now! Four tiles down there's a passage, lift it up and go down, then take two rights and three lefts and then up again. You need to open the door for the little ones and you'll find yourself behind a coffee shop. The children have other set places to go.'
'De Gambit is not leaving without you petite.'
He expected her to go? ' Are you crazy? I have to stay here. Who else will save the children? I have to make sure I get them out.'
She was the crazy one, if she thought he was leaving her in dis hell hole. 'Chere, Gambit not leaving you here.'
'Go now. I can only hold the guards off for so long.'
'Petite…' His voice trailed off dangerously.
Walking up to Gambit, 225 placed her small hand on Gambit's lips. ' I have to stay. Please don't argue anymore. Come back with help if you'd wish though. I get lonely, and some of the children can't go through the tunnel -'
An angry bang interrupted her. 'Go now!' She yelled, pushing him towards the tiles.
'De Gambit will be back chere! And soon.' He yelled vanishing into the darkness.
Gambit was not expecting to get caught, nor was he expecting to share a dark cell with a girl, well woman who would soon become his best friend, confidant and after many adventures, his lover.
He knew someone was in the cell with him. Years as a thief had taught him this. But considering this was a center for disturbed children and also a mutant experiment center, he let things be.
~Scope out de center and leave, de professor said. A two hour mission he said. Should be at de mansion now, watching de game and drinking a beer. But non, I 'ad to get caught!'~ Gambit thought muttering to himself as he paced back and forth in the cold, dark cell. A flicker of movement caught his eye as he turned around.
She was as pale as ivory and tinier than Jubilee. Her hair was long, tangled and the color of tiger. Her eyes were white and her voice was soft. 'Hello.'
She was very pretty. ' Bonjour Petite, Ca va?' The Cajun said, giving her a smile.
'You have a very handsome smile, sir.' A weak smile showing on her tiny face.
'Call me Gambit, Non? What's your name?'
'Experiment 225.' Her voice was quick and loud, she replied walking up to the Cajun. 'You have nice eyes, may I have a closer look at them?'
~Mon Dieu, she barely reaches my shoulder. So tiny and frail looking.~ He thought, reaching out and stroking her cheek.
'Sure t'ing petite.' He said crouching down in front of her.
Slowly Experiment 225 ran her hands over the Cajun's face, her touch as light as a feather.
'They look like they burn. Do they hurt you much? And would you like the bindings on your hands removed?'
'Non, Gambit's eyes not hurt. Oui, I would like de bindings removed very much. But how you gonna do dat, petite?'
He didn't know her powers. She always forgot though, oh the irony. She bit her lip as the ivory claws shot out of her knuckles. 'With these.'
Blood poured from her knuckles as the ivory claws found their way out of her knuckles, Gambit thought. Like Wolverine, he wondered what other powers this pretty little woman fille had.
'How long you been here petite?' Gambit asked as he watched the girl delicately cut the bindings off his hands.
'13 years, give or take a few months.' she answered, her concentration on the bindings and gloves surrounding his hands.
'Why dey put me in the same cells as you petite?'
'They forgot about me. I make them forget actually. Then they can't hurt me. And I can free other mutants when they forget about me.' She remarked casually as she freed Gambit's hands.
'Forget you? 'Explain dis to me sil vous plait?'
' I can make people forget…', her voice faded off.
'And I can make them remember. A lot of people don't like to remember.' Her voice became harsh and slightly angry. ' Maybe they shouldn't do things that they don't want to remember.'
Somebody hurt her. Why didn't she make herself forget? He'd ask that later. Once they were outta dis hell whole. He watched as she gathered her knees up to her chest. Looking so frail and innocent. Da Cajun was troubled.
'Petite, can de Gambit hold you? He dun like de dark none.'
He liked the dark just fine. 225 knew this. But she was so lonely, always alone. She couldn't make the mutants forget her, but they did. She saved them and still she was alone. Maybe, for just a few minutes she wouldn't be alone or forgotten. Taking a few steps into the Cajuns arms, she felt herself relax.
'What dey do here petite?' Gambit was curious, they should have freed him, or killed him by now.
He smiled at her content sigh. ' They want your mutant genes, Gambit. They experiment on children with them. But it never turns out correctly, always side effects. Everything has to be perfect.'
Gambit stiffened as the girl, no woman, shuddered in his arms shuddered. Experiments on children. Would it never stop? Sometimes de Cajun wish he was back at home, in the New Orleans with Papa LeBeau, stealing and drinking. The underworld of New Orleans was far less disturbing den this.
'What kind of side effects petite?'
'I was born with my powers to make humans forget and remember so those have no side effects. But my hands, well nothing heals. I have to get the other mutants ready to go. Before Dalen gets here.' She said, standing up and disappearing into the floor.. Leaving the Cajun, thinking about his cell mate by himself in the dark.
~*
'Gambit, you have to go! Now!' 225 anxiously prodded the Cajun man in the shoulder. He was awake in seconds. ' Gambit! Come on! You have to leave! Now! Four tiles down there's a passage, lift it up and go down, then take two rights and three lefts and then up again. You need to open the door for the little ones and you'll find yourself behind a coffee shop. The children have other set places to go.'
'De Gambit is not leaving without you petite.'
He expected her to go? ' Are you crazy? I have to stay here. Who else will save the children? I have to make sure I get them out.'
She was the crazy one, if she thought he was leaving her in dis hell hole. 'Chere, Gambit not leaving you here.'
'Go now. I can only hold the guards off for so long.'
'Petite…' His voice trailed off dangerously.
Walking up to Gambit, 225 placed her small hand on Gambit's lips. ' I have to stay. Please don't argue anymore. Come back with help if you'd wish though. I get lonely, and some of the children can't go through the tunnel -'
An angry bang interrupted her. 'Go now!' She yelled, pushing him towards the tiles.
'De Gambit will be back chere! And soon.' He yelled vanishing into the darkness.