Gambit walked down the street with his hands in his pockets. It was a constant fight for him not to turn around and go back to the X-Mansion. He knew if he hurried, he might even make it there before Rogue woke up and found the note.

He sighed and shook his head. Life just wouldn't cut him a break. He'd done so much wrong in his life, he feared he'd never be able to atone. He would never be able to look in the mirror without despising the face that looked back at him. Joining the X-Men had seemed like the perfect absolution. He would dedicate his life to peace, instead of war. No more Prince of Thieves, no more pawn of Satan. Just Gambit, the X-Man.

Gambit snorted. X-Man. He'd never make it. Within seconds after joining, he'd fallen for some femme. A pair of soft brown eyes had looked into his soul and he'd been a lovesick puppy. The perfect chance at redemption, and he'd passed on it. He could have been a hero. Turned in a traitor, maybe saved the lives of countless students and mutants. But he couldn't do it.

The irony really was quite amusing. He'd romanced so many women in his life. So many times, he'd preyed upon their vulnerability to his charm, his looks. And now a woman, four years his junior, had wrapped him around her little finger. Even now, Gambit couldn't forget the fear in her eyes when she'd been a prisoner in her own skin, her joy when she'd regained the ability to touch. She was so full of life, how could she not be what she seemed?

Well, he wasn't going to let his own weakness cause him to betray anyone anymore. He hadn't had the heart to turn her in to her teammates, but he still wasn't going to stay there. He refused to allow himself to be with a woman who was still entrapped in evil ways that he himself was still trying to escape.

Rogue could keep her masquerade, her facade. But she wouldn't keep him. He'd been used for the last time.

Turning down another road, Gambit found himself in an area that was eerily familiar. Looking up, he saw a place from his past. Memories floated through Gambit's mind as he entered the old building. Years ago, he'd made a deal with the devil on this very spot. This was the place that started his life down a path of evil. Perhaps, if he wanted to start again on a new path, he must first remember how it all went wrong.

Suddenly, evil laughter rang through the rafters. Gambit spun around, but his kinetic sense didn't pick up any movement. All of a sudden a figure seemed to materialize out of the shadows. Gambit's face paled.

"You--"

Before he could move, a plasma bolt shot out of the figure's fingers and hit Gambit square in the chest. As he drifted into unconsciousness, Gambit heard a voice from the figure, as it moved to stand over him.

"Welcome back, Remy. I knew you would come."

* * *

Marie woke up late the next morning. Her head hurt slightly and she winced as she remembered how much she'd had to drink last night. As she sat up, she consoled herself that it could have been worse. At least she didn't have to drive back to college, like Jubilee and Kitty did. Marie looked at the clock and saw that it was already 12:45. Jubilee and Kitty had probably left hours ago. She sighed and laid back down.

As her arms fell to the side, Marie felt her hand graze a piece of paper. Curious, Marie rolled over, groping for the paper. After a moment, she grabbed it and sat up. Unfolding the small note, she began reading. As her mind processed the words, Marie felt her heart thump harder in her chest.

Rogue,

Congratulations on your deception, Chere. You have managed to fool the X-Men. I blame myself for the pain I feel in my heart right now. I should have seen through the lies. Still, what can I say? You're good.

I knew about what you did to Ms. Marvel right away. Shame on you, Rogue, you left your glove beside the body. It's in the envelope under the covers, if you'd like it back.

Still, even I had no idea how deep the ruse went until last night. Imagine, for four years you've been stringing along the world's most powerful team of mutants. They eat out of your hand, Chere. Even the mighty Wolverine, who almost sacrificed his life for you, has no idea that you were truly in no danger. That's right, Chere. I know all about it.

Even after I followed you to Mystique's, I had no idea what the real story was. I half hoped she was blackmailing you. Imagine my surprise to find out she is your mother. Of course, knowing that, the rest of the information I received made much more sense. After all, who would believe that such a loving mother would sacrifice her own daughter on a giant machine?

Was it your idea's or Magneto's, Rogue? Who was it that designed a plan B? Whoever it was, my deepest respects. When Magneto's plan failed, it was certainly fortunate that you were able to infiltrate the X-Men, by pretending to be Magneto's victim instead of his accomplice. We both know that machine would not have truly hurt you.

By now, I suppose you're wondering why I didn't turn you in? Why I didn't go to the X-Men with that envelope of evidence. The answer, Chere? I don't know. All I know is when I think of you, my thoughts are of that vulnerable woman, who sat with me on the roof that first day I arrived. I think of how you felt in my arms, and the way you tasted when we kissed. And so I leave your secret safe under your covers, to do with as you choose.

Farewell, ma Chere and congratulations. It takes someone truly special to steal the heart of a thief.

Remy LeBeau

Unshed tears burned at Marie's eyes as she reached under her blanket to retrieve the envelope the note spoke of. As she looked through its contents, Marie flinched at the false, yet damning picture, the information painted. There were pictures of her going into Mystique's. Older pictures, of her as a child, in the shapeshifter's arms. A dark green glove that marked Rogue's last battle. As the evidence spread out around her, Marie made a decision.

Jumping out of bed, she quickly put all the evidence back in its envelope. Getting dressed quickly, she ran to her window. Impatiently scanning the yard to make sure no one was around, she launched herself into the sky. Like a speeding bullet she flew to her mother's hotel. She wasn't going to let him walk out of her life without a fight. She'd made that mistake with another, damned if it was going to happen again.

Going to the window, she flew out, heedless of anyone who may have been watching.

* * *

Mystique smiled when she opened the door. "Rogue! How nice to see you again so soon! How--"

"Mama," Rogue gasped as she walked in. "Ah need your help!"

"Of course, daughter." Mystique said, perturbed. "What's wrong?"

"It's Gambit. He's gone, and it's all mah fault."

"Who is this Gambit?"

"One of mah teammates. He's new."

"Why did he leave and why do you think it's your fault?"

Without a word, Rogue dropped the envelope and note on the couch. Mystique walked over and sat down. Her eyes narrowed as she read the noted and looked through the pictures.

She looked up at Rogue. "Someone had to give Gambit this information. Is there any reason anyone would want Gambit to suspect you of wrongdoing?"

"Ah don't think so. Ah can't imagine why anyone would care what Remy thought of me."

Mystique raised her eyebrows. "Remy?"

Rogue blushed. Comprehension dawned on Mystique. "You fancy this boy?"

"Oh, Mama, please can we stick to the subject."

"I thought you were taken with that cranky Canadian, Wolverine?"

"Mama, please, not now. Ah don't wanna talk about Logan."

Mystique didn't look satisfied, but she let the subject drop. "Well, it seems that whoever gave Gambit this information, succeeded in getting him to leave the team, so let's assume that was their goal. They'll want to make sure he doesn't come back." She thought for a moment. "If it was a misunderstanding of this information that made him leave, they'll also want to make sure you don't find him to correct things." She stood up. "Go back to the mansion and search the grounds. I'm almost positive whomever is responsible for this has been watching you."

Rogue nodded and gave her mother a hug. "Thanks, Mama."

"You're welcome, daughter."

As the door closed behind Rogue, Mystique frowned. Going to the closet, she grabbed her coat and left, morphing as she went.

* * *

Logan sped up a little faster as he saw the mansion come into view. He'd spent the whole ride thinking about what he was going to do and he still had no idea what he would say to Marie. Prepared to wing it, he pulled into the driveway -- and stopped short. Up in the sky, he saw his Marie flying towards the mansion. As she got over the forest, she stopped, as though she was searching for something in the trees.

As her eyes scanned the ground, she noticed Logan standing in the driveway beside the bike. Even from this distance, Wolverine's keen eyesight could see her eyes widen in surprise. She quickly flew down to meet him.

"Logan!"

"Hey, Marie. What the hell--"

"Ah'll explain everything later, Logan. Ah need you to help me."

Wolverine furrowed his eyebrows, but he nodded. As much as he wanted to know why Marie was suddenly able to fly, the urgent tone in her voice told him now was not the time to find out. "Name it."

"Someone's been watchin' me. Ah need to find them."

Wolverine felt a wave of protective anger. Suddenly, all business, he set out into the woods. Rogue flew ahead, searching the higher branches of the trees.

Suddenly there was a shout and a roar. Rogue hurriedly turned back and flew to where she'd heard the noise. Standing in a clump of bushes, Wolverine was holding a man up by his shirt. Rogue gasped as she saw the knife protruding out of Wolverine's chest, where the man had stabbed him.

"Logan!"

"I'm all right." Wolverine ground out. "Unlike him."

The man shook in Wolverine's grip as his healing factor tried to heal around the knife. Rogue reached out, tentatively, and pulled the knife out. The man Wolverine was dangling off the ground watched in horror as the would closed up in seconds.

Rogue looked up at him. "Who sent you to spy on me?"

The man glared down at her, but refused to speak.

Wolverine was about to change his mind when Rogue removed one of her gloves. "Ah don't have time for this. Ah asked you nicely. Now we do it the hard way." She reached up and grabbed the man's face. After a moment the man's eyes grew wide and then he sagged in Wolverine's grip and Logan dropped him. He turned and saw Rogue's eyes were squeezed shut, as she tried to find the information she was looking for. Suddenly her eyes shot open.

"Remy." She whispered. She turned to face Logan. "Logan, have you ever heard of Mr. Sinister?"

* * *

Gambit groaned as he regained consciousness. he felt like he was fighting his way back from a nightmare. That theater, that figure . . . Even now, chills ran down his arms as he remembered the voice that had followed him into blackness. Gambit tried to raise his hands to his face and found he couldn't lift his arms. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he realized he was chained down on a metal table.

"Non." he whispered.

Suddenly, there was a swish of air as a mechanical door slid open.

"Sinister." Remy spat.

Mr. Sinister smiled. "Hello, Remy. I trust you slept well?"

"What's goin' on? Gambit done workin' f' you."

"Yes, sadly you did mention something about never working for me again. However, even then I knew you would still be useful. I've been watching you, Remy. And I must say, you did not let me down."

Gambit narrowed his eyes, as he craned his neck to see what Sinister was doing. "What do you mean?"

"You have found me the perfect specimen for my research, dear boy. A mutant who can provide untold varieties of DNA."

He turned his head briefly to look at Gambit. Seeing the confused look on the Cajun's face, he sighed. "You never did think like a scientist. Imagine, Remy, I could feed her any number of mutants, creating a single strand of DNA with any combination of powers. The possibilities are mind numbing."

Gambit's face paled. "Rogue?"

Mr. Sinister grinned. "Now you're catching on. I must say though, leading me to this wonderful creature aside, you still fell short of my expectations. I had hoped that you would do the honorable thing, and take your envelope to the X-Men."

"You fed me dat information." Gambit whispered.

"Well of course, my boy. You don't expect me to waste my time defeating all those X-Men, when I can just arrange for the one I want to run off on her own. If you had only turned her in, you could have saved me all this trouble. Still, all can be forgiven."

"Never. I'm done wit you, Sinister. Gambit never help you hurt Rogue."

Sinister chuckled as he raised a syringe in the air. "You speak as if you had a choice." Gambit swallowed hard as Sinister injected the liquid into a tiny metal object. "After this little implant takes effect, you will serve me just as loyally as when you were indebted."

Gambit struggled against his restraints, but he knew it was useless. However, before Sinister could reach him, an alarm went off.

"Oh? Why my dear boy, it looks like you've managed to bring her to me after all. How wonderful." Putting the implant down, Sinister left the room.

Gambit waited until he was sure Sinister was gone. Then he flicked his hand and pulled a little wire out of his sleeve.

"Old habits die hard y' son of a bitch." he murmured. Quickly he set to work picking the lock. "Hope Gambit not too late."

* * *

Wolverine and Rogue cautiously made their way into the dingy building. Wolverine's senses were on heightened alert, as he searched for signs of danger. Rogue floated along about the ground. Wolverine glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You're gonna tell me how you're doin' that, later, right?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Rogue smiled. "Of course."

Suddenly, the smile left her face, as the floor dropped out from underneath them. Wolverine growled and tried to dig his claws into the wall. He stopped fifty feet down. Immediately Rogue moved to retrieve him when an energy cannon moved into position. Wolverine watched in horror from below as Marie was blasted out of his eyeshot by a stream of bright blue energy.

"Marie!" Roaring in outrage, he began to claw his way up the wall. Suddenly the sides of the pit slid forward. Fear clutched at Wolverine as the pit closed off, leaving him hanging in darkness and separated from Marie.

* * *

Rogue winced as she sat up. That blast had come out of nowhere. She stood up and frowned down at her clothes. a huge hole revealed a glimpse of her bare stomach. Marie said a mental thank you to Ms. Marvel, for the nigh-invulnerability.

Before she could fly back to the spot, Wolverine had disappeared under, a voice spoke to her from the corner.

"Greetings, Rogue. Welcome to my laboratory."

Rogue spun around to face the voice. She recognized him immediately from the image she had absorbed from the assassin's mind. "Mr. Sinister, I presume?"

Mr. Sinister smiled. "I see you found my little spy. Ah well, he was expendable. Unlike you, my dear."

Rogue opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, but he leveled a hand at her and a plasma burst shot out. Rogue grunted as it hit her, knocking her against another wall.

"That, suh, is no way to treat a lady." She balled up her fists and flew at him full speed. Sinister watched her come. Just before she reached him, he threw a handful of powder into the air. Rogue couldn't stop in time and sailed right through the cloud.

She fell out of the air, coughing. "What - what was that?" she choked.

"Never you mind, my dear." Sinister said, as he walked over and picked her up in his arms. Rogue weakly tried to reach for him, but the world seemed to spin around her. Struggling in vain, she finally succumbed to the blackness that overwhelmed her.

* * *

Gambit's heart was pumping furiously in his chest and he ran through the halls. There was a virtual labyrinth of passages in Sinister's headquarters. He broke into yet another room.

As Gambit stood there for a moment, panting, his kinetic sense picked up movement. Listening closely, Gambit heard a scraping sound beneath the floor.

"What do I got t' lose?" Gambit muttered. "Mon ami! Hang on!" A card slid out of Gambit's sleeve. He charged it and threw it at the ground where he heard the noise. As the false floor caved in, Gambit saw Wolverine claw his way out.

Wolverine's eyes scanned the room immediately, in search of Marie. Gambit held up a hand as the other man turned to him.

"We don have time, Wolverine. Sinister is after Rogue."

Wolverine growled. "She came here with me."

Gambit's face fell. "Mon dieu." he whispered. "He got her."

"Not fer long." Wolverine promised. Sniffing the air, he bolted in the direction of Marie's scent. Before they'd run ten feet, through the huge room, a door suddenly opened.

Wolverine stopped short. "Well I'll be." His claws slid from their sheaths. "Sabretooth."

"He's just a clone, Wolverine! He not de real 'ting!" Gambit shouted, preparing to charge a card.

"What do you think you're going to do with that card, Remy?"

Gambit watched as a woman stepped out from behind Sabretooth.

"Vertigo. You remember Gambit's powers, eh?" He lifted his hand to throw the card.

The woman smiled. "Of course, Remy. But do you remember mine?" Gambit blinked as Vertigo raised her arms. Suddenly, the world seemed to ooze and spin around him. Dizzily, Gambit tried to focus, but he couldn't tell which way was up.

Wolverine had looked at her also, and was shaking his head to get a grip on reality. He was saved the effort when Sabretooth roared and launched his body at Wolverine. Together, they tumbled to the floor, rolling in a snarling mass.

Gambit squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to fight off the effects of Vertigo's powers. His kinetic senses were going wild. Suddenly he heard another voice.

"Remy, you've returned to us. Oh, I hope you still have all those nasty feelings of self hatred and anger. They make my job so much easier."

Gambit gritted his teeth. It was Malice. In a new clone body, too. If she got her hands on him, she could possess him and manipulate his negative emotions. Which he had plenty of, at the moment. Struggling to make sense out of Vertigo's topsy-turvy world, he felt Malice touch his shoulder. Gambit took his chance. He grabbed Malice's skirt and charged it. She screamed as her clothing and exploded, taking part of her lower body with it and knocking her backwards into Vertigo. With a grunt, Vertigo fell under Malice's bloody body.

Gambit got to his feet, fighting against the remaining nausea of Vertigo's powers. Charging a few more cards, he threw them back in her direction. The screams he heard told him they were out of the fight for good now. Gambit struggled not to feel satisfaction at their suffering. They weren't the same Marauders that had damned him.

Looking over, he saw Wolverine wrestling with Sabretooth. Gambit charged a card, but the two were too close, he couldn't get a clear shot. He watched as Sabretooth swiped at Wolverine. The smaller man flipped backwards, avoiding the strike, and then slashed at Sabretooth with his own claws.

"Wolverine, we have t' end dis! He's got Rogue!" Gambit yelled.

Wolverine growled and hurled himself into the air. He moved one set of claws towards Sabretooth's face. The clone, grabbed him with both arms to pull him off and Wolverine swung his other hand down into the bigger man's abdomen. Sabretooth screamed and staggered backwards. Wolverine kept swinging himself around, keeping him off balance. Finally, Sabretooth dropped him. Wolverine sent his leg sweeping out, to knock Sabretooth off his feet. Gambit threw the card near the edge of the pit Wolverine himself had just escaped from. The edge crumbled to where Sabretooth stood. With a roar the large mutant fell into the pit, the roar echoing for a long time, before there was silence.

Wolverine snorted as he and Gambit turned to leave -- and stopped short.

"Going somewhere?"

In frustration, the two men looked at the doorway to see Riptide, Blockbuster, Arclight, and Prism blocking their way out.