They all waited in the control room, X Man and Acolyte alike.  Scott had instructed the X Men to change into their uniforms; Magneto had simply gathered his four team members together in whatever they had worn.  Piotr leaned silently against a wall, John was looking around at all the buttons, Pietro sat in a swivel chair, leg absently hopping up and down in impatient anticipation, and Remy shuffled a deck of cards he just happened to drop in the cargo pockets of his shorts that morning.

"Lucky stiffs."  John leaned over to Pietro.  "Ain't got to make their uniforms out of stuff you find lying around the house do they?"  Pietro chuckled at the Aussy's remark, but quickly clamed up under the stern gaze of his father.

"Now that we are all here."  Xavier began.  "I will explain today's exercise."  Spinning his chair around, Charles flicked a monitor and an image of a compound surrounded by a forest came up.

"This is a simple teamwork exercise."  Xavier was pleased, he expected reactions that rivaled Scott's when the X Men discovered not only that they would be participating with the Acolytes, but Magneto would be overseeing it as well.  "You will be tethered to another teammate and you and your partner will have to work together to take out the other members.  The last pair standing will win.  The purpose is to work in closely with someone, not escape from them, so there will be no porting or phasing out of the restraints."  Both Kurt and Kitty sighed.  Xavier turned back to the five members of his group.  "Jean, since there are only four members of the Acolytes would you mind sitting this one out?"

"Sure professor."  Jean stepped away from the rest of the team.

Magneto stepped forward.  "Anyone who takes this fight beyond just a training exercise will answer to me."  He watched as a few members of the X Men snickered at his Acolytes at the other end of the room.  "That includes the X-Men."

Xavier nodded.  "Eric and I are working together, and we have come to an understanding.  In my absence, you are to treat him as you would me, understood?"  Several groans were heard from his students.  "Understood?"  He asked again, and a collective 'Yes Professor.' sounded.

"I am telling you as well."  Magneto spoke to the Acolytes.  "You are to treat Charles with the same respect you do me."  The Acolytes collectively nodded, save for John, who raised his hand.

A small metal paperweight elevated off the nearby desk, flew across the room and struck John's raised hand.

"Did you have a question John?"  Magneto's stern voice vibrated off the metal walls of the control room.

"Uh… I guess not boss."  He replied, rubbing his hand.

Charles smiled.  "Eric, since you are my guest would you like to pair up the first two?"

Eric turned his attention from his soldier to his son.  "Pietro you will work with Summers."

"No way!"  They both shouted in unison.

"Pietro."  Magneto said stopping any further arguing.  "If you truly wish to become a leader there are several things you could learn from him."

Pietro crossed his arms and scowled, and Scott smiled at the apparent complement, even if it was from the man who had tried to kill him and his team.

The professor rubbed his chin and looked at the members from both sides.  "Kitty, I think working with Mr. Rusputin would be beneficial.  Both your powers and physical abilities are near opposites; I believe you will both learn a lot."

"Okay."  Kitty stated chipperly walking over to the towering young man.  Piotr just remained silent.

"St. John, you need to learn to be more discreet when needed."  Magnus said, remembering the event from a few moments before.  "I believe Mr. Wagner could teach you a thing or two about the art of stealth."

"Don't worry mate."  St. John walked over and put an arm around Kurt.  "I'll try me best not to singe any of yer' fir."  Kurt smiled weekly, but his eyes were screaming for help.

"The Professor nodded.  "That leaves…"

"Son of a bitch."  Rogue muttered under her breath, lowering her face into her hand.

"Rogue and Gambit."  The Professor finished.

"Looks like lady luck be on Remy's side today huh Chere?"  She heard him whisper next to her.

"Don't call me Chere."  She looked up at him with a scowling face that would make babies cry.

"Ohhh… That was death glare #5, ve don't see that one unless she is really angry."  Kurt, still under John's arm, observed out loud.

Remy smiled.  *Hate to see when Chere gets to #10.*

~~~:*:~~~

The sun pounded down into the concrete buildings of the complex. 

"So what's the plan?"  Kitty looked up at the giant standing next to her in the alley between two of the compound's buildings.  She hated to ask, but they had been standing exactly where they had started the simulation for at least five minutes.

Piotr placed a finger to his lips, signaling that she should remain quiet, and looked down to the girl he was tethered to.  "He can not keep quiet for long."

Kitty wrinkled her brow in confusion, but then heard a voice off in the distance.

"See."  Piotr whispered, and looked in the direction of the sound.

In a puff of smoke two individuals appeared on a rooftop.  "Jeeze mate."  John wafted the air in front of him.  "What have you been eating?"

"For the last time, I teleport through an alternate dimension of fire and brimstone."  Kurt rolled his eyes as he explained.

"Call it what you want."  He finished his wafting and turned the lighter over in his hand.  "I just want to be sure I don't kill us all when I light up."

"Be quiet.  They were over here when the simulation started."

"Right."  John agreed as they began stalking across the roof.  "Now, me and me mate Kurt are tracking the illusive Shadowcat across the Outback."

Kurt turned to look at him.  "Vill you shut up."

"Now you got to remember, the illusive Bayville Shadowcat usually travels in close company with the Colossus Piotrous."  There was a quick pause before he looked over to Kurt and continued.  "Danger, danger, danger."

"You are going to get us caught!"  Kurt's voice pleaded.

Kitty had to clasp both of her hands over mouth to keep from laughing.  John sounded just like the Outback guy on the TV.

"You think this is funny?"  Colossus asked.  "They had a marathon on the Discovery channel a week ago, he wouldn't shut up."

"Oi, by cracky there they are!" 

Both Kitty and Piotr looked up to the roof and the two individuals, but more importantly at the lighter Pyro was sparking in his hand.

"Come!"  Piotr commanded taking Kitty by the arm and turning into his metal form.  Running at full speed, and almost carrying the girl behind him he lowered a metal shoulder to plunge through the wall of the building John and Kurt were on top of.

"Let me."  He heard the girl call and felt her small hand on the metal of his arm.  And instead of crashing through, they simply passed through it.

Pyro pointed down where the two individuals had disappeared below them.  "No what I'm a gonna' do is sneak around, and with me trusty top jaw rope, slip it around the Colossus's head, rendering those powerful choppers useless."

"You are crazy."  Kurt's eyes were wide with shock, not the shock caused by the appearance of an opponent, but the shock one would receive when they discovered they were handcuffed to an insane pyromaniac. 

But before he had a chance to voice his fears, his eyes caught a twinkle at his feet, a reflected ray of sunshine off a metal hand.  "Crap."

Piotr, with Kitty's help once again, pulled Nightcrawler through the roof and into the darkened warehouse below, the tether drew tight around John's arm and he fell through as well.

"Be careful mate, he bee looking like he wants to do a death roll!"  John yelled as he landed on top of Kurt.

"I cant see a thing."  Nightcrawler said as he pushed John off him.

"I'll take care of that."  John helped him up, and flicked the Zippo producing a small flame.

"Yoink!"  Kitty took advantage of the darkness and snatched the lighter from his hand, closing it before he could concentrate enough to control the flame. 

Suddenly John was lifted into the air, with the feeling of a cold metal hand around his neck.  "You got a metal hand picking you up by the neck too there Kurt?"  He choked out.

"Yes…"  Kurt replied just as strained, his eyes finally adjusting to the darkness of the warehouse.

"Give up?"  Piotr asked.

~~~:*:~~~

"Will you come on!"  Pietro yelled over his shoulder, watching as Scott leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

"Slow down!"  The X Men's leader managed to gasp out.

"I'm not even running!"

"Listen, we need to work together or else we are going to walk back up there without taking anybody out."  Scott stood up fully and looked at Quicksilver.  "That's something I don't want to do and I don't think you do either."

"Argg!"  Pietro flustered.  "If you tell anyone about this I'll kill you."

"What?"  Scot asked, before he found himself picked up and being carried by Quicksilver at an impressing speed.

"You just use those eyes of yours and blast anyone you see."  Pietro said as they wove around the trees of the simulated forest.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes watched the approaching duo from high up in one of those trees.

"Remy slow speedy down, you keep him dat way."  He looked over at Rogue who sat next to him on the large tree branch. 

"Fine."  She crossed her arms.  The quicker they took everyone out the less time she would have to spend chained to him.

He smiled.  "Cute when you angry Chere."  Any remark from Rogue was silenced as a playing card humming with power bolted out of the tree and directly into Pietro's path.

"Hold on!"  Was all Pietro managed to say, because at his current speed even he would be unable to dodge the card.  It exploded at his feet, tripping him up and sending the two team leaders rolling across the forest floor.

"Son of a…"  Pietro suddenly grew very sleepy and slipped into darkness, barely noticing the cool hand pressed to his cheek.

Rogue stood up from the sleeping Quicksilver and pulled her glove back on.  Looking over she saw Remy standing over Scott, his foot keeping his un-tethered free hand pinned to the ground and away from the trigger on the side of his visor.

"Uncle?"  Remy asked, flipping an as of yet uncharged card between his fingers.

Scott stopped struggling.  "Uncle."  He sighed, and Remy helped him to his feet.  "Good job."  He congratulated Rogue as he lifted the limp Pietro from the ground and threw one of his arms over his shoulder.

"Come on, lets get this over with."  Scott said as he looked up to the control room, and walked with Pietro to the exit.

"Just five more minutes mom."  Quicksilver mumbled, still half asleep.

"Dem new powers you got not be of much use unless you can carry old Remy like Pietro was Scott."  Remy said as Scott disappeared from view.  "But I think we be a cuter couple."

"Asshole…"  Rogue mumbled under her breath.

"What was that Chere?"  He asked.

"Listen!"  She turned to face him.  "I don't need this crap okay, lets just get this over wi…"

"You done Chere?"  Gambit interrupted.  "Because I think someone be commin."

"I told you not to call me Chere!"  She barked.

"Will you be quiet for a sec…"  Remy didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as a block of wood sailed into the back of his head, taking the Cajun to the floor.

Rogue was too stunned to register what had happened in a blink of an eye and was pulled down to her knees by the dead weight attached to her arm.

"Piotr!"  She heard Kitty scold somewhere in the near distance.  "Why did you do that?"  Her former roommate came into the clearing, large man right behind.

"He should have been paying attention."  Piotr spoke with a thick Russian accent, as Kitty kneeled by Rogue and helped roll Remy over.  "I didn't throw it hard."  He offered as an explanation.

"He's cross-eyed!"  She exclaimed as Gambit's red on black eyes rolled open, and then closed back again, but Piotr just shrugged.

"Remy?"  Rogue asked kneeling at his side.

"Is he, like, okay?"  Kitty asked, and then looked up at Piotr.  "You could have killed him you know?"

"I live with the man, and I know his head is harder than anything I could possible throw at it."

"Chere…"  A weak breath escaped his lips.

They all went silent, and Rogue leaned closer to his head to her his quieted words.

"How about giving Remy a little mouth to mouth?"

"I'm going to have to agree with you Piotr.  That head is thicker than you think."

"Exercise terminated."  The professor's voice came through the speakers as the image of the forest was replaced by the metal of the danger room.  "Kitty and Piotr win."  He paused.  "Now if someone will please help Mr. LeBeau to the infirmary, Mr. McCoy can take a look at him."

"I was fully prepared for someone to get hurt, but I didn't think it would be inflicted by a member of their own team."  Eric observed out loud as Charles clicked the microphone off.

"All in all I say it went rather well."  Xavier crossed his hands at his chin in contemplation.  "Scott and Pietro came to an understanding and were both willing to make sacrifices."

"Yes it did."  Eric agreed.  "But the fact remains that both out team leaders failed to take anyone out."

~~~:*:~~~

He stood in silence next to the black car parked beside the private hanger.  The jet's landing lights pinging into the darkness and illuminating the areas not covered by the flood lights.

As the high pitched engines powered down, the door opened, unfolding steps down to the asphalt.  Two large men stepped out; one stood at attention by the entrance to the plane, the other approached him at the car.

"Pleasant night isn't it?"  He asked with a casual wave and smile.

"Better in the fall."  The young man responded, and the large man's friendly demeanor disappeared as Omen uttered the phrase, convinced that this was indeed his contact. 

"The money?"  He asked, stopping just short of arms length from the young man with the silver and brown hair.

"The package?"  Omen asked, not budging from his own position.

The man turned and nodded to the other who still waited at the plain's entrance.  He spoke into the plane, and was handed an elongated black suitcase.

Omen opened the trunk of the car, pulling out a smaller briefcase and opening it.  "Twenty million."  He said as the first man looked at the money inside, and then nodded to his companion.

He placed the case in the trunk of the car.  Omen reached in and opened it, took a look at the contents, and then shut the case and trunk of the car.

"Our business is concluded then?"  The man asked.

"It is."  Omen walked around the car as the two men returned to the jet.

As he cleared the gates of the airfield he pressed the send button on the car phone, one ring and a voice came on the other end.

"Everything well?"

"Perfect.  It is in my possession and I am heading to the laboratory now."  He reported as he turned onto the road and increased speed.

"Good, I want to make sure it is the real thing as soon as possible." 

"It is."

There was a slight pause.  "You are sure?"

"I am."

"Good.  I was beginning to wonder if your education was paying off."  He could hear the shuffling of papers on the other end of the line, indicating that his superior had yet to leave the office for the night.  "Return here once it is safe."

"Yes sir."  Omen responded and terminated the call.

~~~:*:~~~

Remy stood in the abandoned game room, illuminated only from the one bulb remaining in the pool light.  He honestly wished Magneto had a pool table at their base; it would serve them well during the boring hours in-between missions.  It would also help keep Pietro occupied and out of trouble.  *One day Sabertooth is going to get a hand on that little feller and all hell's gonna' break loose.* 

Rogue watched from outside the door as he slowly walked around the table, gently lifting a glass with some amber liquid in it to his lips briefly before setting it back onto the table's rim.  He bent at the waist, letting the cue slide evenly across his planted hand before striking the q-ball.  It guided slowly but determinedly in a graceful arch around the 8 before nudging the 7 into a corner pocket.

"You commin in or just going to stand in de hall for the rest of de game?" 

Her head snapped up from the hole she was watching to him.  He wasn't looking at her, just gently scraping the tip of the cue with a worn down piece of chalk while scanning the table.  She moved fully into the doorway but not into the room.

"Just came to see of you were alright."  He made no move to acknowledge her, just continued his graceful trip around the table while eyeing the 8.  "Whacha playing?"  She asked, not denying that his imposed silence had once again forced her to speak.

"Nine ball."  He answered bending again at the waist and quickly tapping the eight into the side pocket that it teetered upon.  When he stood from his shot he looked at her, the red on black eyes staring directly into her green ones.  "Care to take de win?"  He asked offering the cue to her.

"No thanks, I'd embarrass myself."

"Nonsense Chere, all you got to do is put dat last ball in de hole."

She crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to scowl upon hearing 'chere'.  "I came to apologies for getting you hurt today and that's it, and I do have a name you know, and it ain't 'Chere'."

"Remy's head be fine."  He responded with a lopsided grin and a hand rubbing the back of his head.  "And I know you are de Rogue, but Chere suits you so much better."  One eyebrow tilted upwards and Rogue could practically see the light bulb go off above his head.  "Tell you what, make dat shot and I'll call you by your name."

"And if I miss?"  She asked, knowing that there was more to the deal.

He smiled, knowing she had taken the bait.  "Better get used to Chere."

"Give me the damned stick Swamp Rat."  She walked in from the doorway, jerking the cue from his still outstretched hand.

"Swamp Rat?"  He questioned.  "Now who be using de names?"

She smiled to herself as she looked at the table and picked up the warn down chalk.  Remy moved back around the table and retrieved his drink, taking a sip and leaning against the opposite wall.

"You know if anyone catches you with that here your going to be in some serious trouble."

"Remember, Remy ain't a member here, I'm just visiting."  He took another sip.  "Besides, I'm 21 best I can figure."

She looked up at him from the green felt of the table and the one ball left.  "Best you can figure?" 

"Eh, take a few years, don't matter when you can look and play the part."  He looked at her and his eyes seemed to glow a little.

"If you use any if that charm or whatever you got to make me miss this shot its gong to take Dr. McCoy and Magnito to get this pool cue out of somewhere I don't think you want it."  She threatened and returned her eyes to the table.

"You gonna' talk big or take your shot?"

Rogue lined up, planting her fingers on the soft green material and letting the smooth wood of the cue run the notch between her fingers.  She tapped the ball, and watched as it struck the nine, the nine hit the side of the corner pocket… and stopped short at the rim.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone's chin resting on her shoulder.  "Nice try."  Gambit was quiet a brief moment before adding. "Chere."