Logan seated himself far enough from Remy so as not to make the young man uncomfortable, but close enough to keep an eye on him. However, Logan found he wasn't just watching… he was blatantly staring at Remy, practically eating him alive with his eyes. Remy sat with his long, graceful legs tucked beneath him, his head laid out on the armrest. His body was twisted in a way that looked like it must have been painful, but the demon eyes were slitted, showing only the dimmest glow of red from beneath his long lashes and he appeared to be dozing off. Logan mused that the Cajun looked like a kitten, soft and peaceful, curled up for a nap. It took every fiber of Logan's being to resist the urge to pet him.

Logan wasn't the only one watching Remy though. From the other side of the Black Bird, Jubilee watched Gambit as well, her eyes veiled with tears. She was so preoccupied she didn't even notice when Henri McCoy sat down beside her. It wasn't until he took her trembling hands in his own that she looked up.

Jubilee quickly snatched her hands away with a gasp, nearly tumbling from her precarious perch on an arm rest in response to the unexpected touch. She had been so lost within her own thoughts that she hadn't even heard her friend Hank sit down next to her. His head now drooped; eyes filled with a pain at her involuntary response. He looked genuinely surprised when Jubilee reached out, taking his large blue hands in hers, bringing them up and laying her cheek upon them. Jubilee was equally surprised by her actions, but somehow it just felt… right.

Once Storm had brought the Black Bird to the proper altitude, she had sat the auto-pilot feature and gone to discuss her plan of action with her teammates. However, she'd been rather shocked by the three different scenes that met her. First thing she noticed was Logan sitting in the seat beside Remy, who appeared to be sleeping. Logan's hand hovered in the air above Remy's head, stroking over the cinnamon colored hair, reverently caressing the silky strands. On the other side of the plane, Henri McCoy was holding Jubilee, her small form nearly lost in his big blue arms. Her head lay snuggled on his shoulder, both of them staring at some invisible image in the distance, eyes glassy with exhaustion and deep thoughts. Right at the back of the plane, was Bobby, a nearly empty box of Twinkies in his lap, and a pile of wrappers on the seat beside him. None of the X-men seemed to have even noticed her presence. Storm cleared her throat, rather annoyed by the lack of response it got her. The second time, she coughed rather loudly, though this gained her no more attention. Her goddess-pride hurt and her patience run low from the recent drama at the mansion, she sent a quick electrical charge to the plane's metal interior, which proved most effective, shocking her fellow X-men quite literally back to their senses.

Remy bolted awake, jumping back in his chair. However, his head came in contact with something extremely hard, and he yelped. The Cajun's surprise only increased as he found himself being pulled close against Logan as the older man began rubbing the sore spot, which turned out to be a result of abrupt contact with those same adamantium-laced hands. Remy quickly pulled away, rubbing the new lump for himself.

Likewise the remaining X-men jumped to attention, looking to their new leader, slightly annoyed by the rude awakening.

"Alright, everyone, I would like to discuss our plan of action for the mission. This is very important, and while I know none of you are at your best right now, I expect you to give your all to this mission."

Storm paused, looking from face to face.

"The objective of our mission is to infiltrate Magneto's base and retrieve the sample of virus X contained there, keeping the sample intact if at all possible. However, if the sample cannot be retrieved thus, it must be destroyed. I believe that Gambit is best suited to the job of retrieving the sample, while the rest of us remain posted at entrances and exits in case of emergency. Gambit, do you accept?"

Storm looked to Remy. Her surrogate brother looked exhausted, physically and emotionally, and she had to fight back her concern for him, knowing as leader she was required to think for the team.

"Oui, Stormy… Gambit go down dere for you. It de least I can do… don't want no one else havin' to feel dat pain like Rogue did…"

His voice sounded slightly shaky, but the determination in his eyes was unwavering. However, the man sitting beside him didn't look so keen on the idea.

"Thank you, Gambit. Wolverine and Jubilee, you will guard the main entrance, IceMan and Beast, you take the back. I'll stay posted above to keep an eye on things. Now everyone, remember, this is a very low-key mission, and we must avoid any conflict if at all possible. We aren't at our strongest right now, so we must use stealth and discretion and avoid conflict at all costs until we as individuals, and as a team, have regrouped and recovered our strength sufficiently."

Storm turned to assume to her position in the pilot's seat when Logan and Jubilee simultaneously called after her.

"Wait!"

Jubilee blushed, and Logan looked rather embarrassed himself nodding for Jubilee to go ahead.

"We aren't just gonna… ya know… let Gambit go in there all by himself are we?"

Logan was relieved that she had voiced his same question, only with much more eloquence than he probably would have put it.

"Jubilee, Gambit is skilled in stealth, as well as combat. He can take care of himself adequately, and if trouble were to arise, we would be able to intervene as well. He won't be left alone; we will all be within ear shot if a problem were to arise."

Jubilee nodded, embarrassed, and Logan motioned Ororo to resume her seat in the cockpit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the flight to Magneto's lair was very awkward. Remy had curled back up in his chair, this time keeping one eye open, refusing to let his guard down again. Logan unsheathed about an inch of his claws on his right hand, examining them. He tested the points against the black leather of the chair, leaving little holes that went unnoticed. While Logan made an effort to completely ignore Remy's presence at this point, Jubilee had now begun to stare, drifting into her own world once again. Meanwhile, Beast had gone to the back of the plane, snatching the Twinkie box away from Bobby, finishing the two remaining Twinkies himself. A Twinkie wrapper fight soon ensued, and the laughter of the "bestest buds" eased the tension slightly.

Logan didn't look up from the chair cover he'd been slowly mangling until the plane landed. He'd felt slightly uneasy since Storm's announcement that Gambit would be the one to sneak in.

"Its just a routine mission, the kid's done this kinda thing prolly a hundred times before, get a grip…"

Logan continued to mentally reprimand himself until they exited the plane. As they began their trek towards the base, Logan took a deep breath, stopping in his tracks. He sniffed the air carefully, trying to pinpoint what had alarmed him, finding nothing unusual about the scent. Shaking himself, he quickened his pace to catch up with he group, beginning to feel that perhaps this routine mission wasn't going to be quite so ordinary.

Once Magneto's lair was in sight, the X-men split up. Ice Man and Beast circled back through the trees, while Logan, Jubilee, and Gambit made for the main entrance to the underground lair, which was inside an old warehouse. The warehouse looked to be long since abandoned; the metal exterior was rusted, the windows clouded with age. As the three X-men neared the front of the building, they were shocked to see that the doors were wide open.

"Somethin aint right here… it aint like Magneto to just leave the doors wide open."

"Wolvie's right… we've nearly killed ourselves just tryin to break into his hang-out before!"

Jubilee's voice sounded downright scared, and Logan was concerned enough that the little nickname went unnoticed. Remy had to agree, they both were right.

"Just make t'ings easier for Gambit, mes amis. I be back wit dat sample in a flash…"

With that, he disappeared into the warehouse, leaving Jubilee and Wolverine staring after him.

The inside of the warehouse was a maze of old, rusted machinery, and Remy often had to duck to keep from hitting his head on a collapsed ceiling beam or part of a dismembered machine.

"Merde… look like somet'in outta dose cartoons de petite always watchin'…"

Remy cursed under his breath, half expecting to see a big, brown, talking dog run by chased by a guy wearing a white sheet. This thought coerced a chuckle from the tightly pursed lips as he wove his way around unsuccessfully for nearly 10 minutes. He was just about to give up when the sheet of rusted metal he was standing on crumbled, and he started to fall, crying out with surprise.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Outside the warehouse, Logan had begun to pace; everything was much too silent for his liking. Even the soft, subtle sounds of the forest were missing. Magneto's joint was never this quiet… ever. Logan had been here before on several other missions, and although the base itself was about a mile beneath cold, hard Canadian soil, the tunnels reinforced by thick layers of metal, his animal-keen hearing had always been able to pick up on the sounds of life below. Of course, with creatures as crass as Toad and Sabertooth around it shouldn't have been a surprise. Actually, now that he thought of it, he couldn't recall even picking up Creed's distinct scent since they arrived. A wave of panic assailed Logan a split second before he heard Remy's scream and he was already in motion by the time Jubilee could react to the sound.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remy fell for what seemed like an eternity; his head spinning as his eyes tried to adjust to the pitch-black surroundings, which were quickly flying by.

"Dis must be what Alice feel like goin down dat rabbit hole…"

Gambit mused to himself. All thoughts fled though as he landed on cold, aching metal, his body quaking in protest to the impact. He gasped sharply for breath, closing his eyes against the spirals of color that wouldn't go away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan darted into the warehouse, slashing through old machines as he fought his way to the secret entrance to Magneto's lair, ripping the iron grating from the hole in the floor near the back wall, dropping into the subterranean maze. Wolverine sniffed the dank, musty air, looking for any signs that the Cajun had been through and which way he might have went. However, Logan was surprised to find no trace of him.

"C'mon, kid… don't be pullin' this stealth shit on me…"

The Wolverine was getting anxious now, he knew he'd heard Remy's scream, knew he was in here somewhere, and possibly hurt. He took off down the main corridor to the right, ears pricking as he heard metal splinter and crash somewhere ahead of him.

"Hang in there kid… I'm comin' for ya…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For several minutes Gambit lay panting in the cramped darkness, the pain ebbing in his blood. Once the spots of color had dimmed and he had regained his breath, he tried to move. Bad idea. Instantly he was aware of a sharp pain in his side and the sickening sound of metal giving way beneath him. However, the weak spot in the metal wasn't large enough for his entire body to slip through without getting caught, and he found himself hanging upside down, bits of rusted metal and drops of his own blood falling in a flurry around him. He wasn't sure how long he dangled from the ceiling before someone disentangled his skin and clothes from the metal above, but he was conscious enough to notice how carefully maintained the strength of those hands was controlled.

Logan kicked down one door, then another, demolishing each entrance he came across in his attempt to find Remy. His Comm badge continued to blink continuously, but he ignored it for now, desperate in his attempt to find the young Cajun.

"Merde… what happen?"

Remy tried to sit up but found a gentle pressure against his chest stopping him.

"Now stay still, swamp rat… ya hear me?"

The soft, husky southern drawl sent his eyes shooting open, and his vision swam in pools of green and the sweet curve of red lips.

"C…Chere…? Dat you?"

Remy's hands trembled as they found hers, covered in a shield of butter soft black leather. There were no words in response, only the flutter of leather clad fingers freeing themselves from his grip and coming to stroke his bruised forehead and the brush of her lips against his hair. Remy lay motionless, sinking back onto the cold concrete floor, melting beneath the warmth of her smile. His mind was so clouded that by the time he noticed she was leaning over him, her lips were already mere inches from his.

Logan froze in the doorway of the last room of the very long hallway, jaw-hanging open in shock. The door had been open, framing the scene before him as if it were merely a photograph. Wolverine growled a warning at the strange figure leaning over Gambit, her features hidden in a shroud of russet curls. Her head jerked back at the sound, the veil of her hair parting, leaving Logan in shock as he stared into the familiar, frightened green eyes that were framed by a few loose strands of white hair. The next few moments happened so fast, neither man was sure exactly what had happened. There was a flurry of movement; the dip of a head, the brush of lips against lips, slide of soft pink tongue against open mouth, and then she was on her feet and darting out a side door connecting to an adjoining hallway.

He rushed to Remy's side, kneeling beside the now unconscious Cajun, his concern overpowering his curiosity and the urge to follow the girl. Taking the limp man in his arms, he brushed back the long bangs and examined the handsome face, now graced with a slight smile. Logan gently ran a thumb over the soft lips, puzzled by the light purple tint, which was quickly fading.

"Damn… what the hell is goin on here?"

He gathered Remy up into his arms, surprised by how light and fragile he felt. Logan held the young man for a long moment, lips pressed into his hair in a cherished kiss as he breathed in a deep lung-full of the kid's spicy scent. Logan then lifted him, supporting the graceful curve of neck and dead weight of head on his shoulder as he began the walk back to the blackbird.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan met the others in the hallway on his way back. Jubilee had become near hysterical after hearing Gambit's scream and Logan's abrupt disappearance and had contacted Storm immediately. After countless attempts to contact him, Storm had declared a code red abort, and the X-men had gone in after their teammates.

"Oh, my stars!"

Hank ran to Logan, snatching Remy away and laying him down, beginning an emergency examination.

"Logan, what has happened to my brother?"

Storm looked equally angry and worried as she looked from Logan, then over to Hank and Remy.

"Not sure, Ro… but Magneto aint here, and the kid's down, we need ta get outta here."

"But what about the virus?"

Jubilee's voice sounded weak with worry as she kneeled at Remy's side, careful not to get in Hank's way.

"Indeed, my dear… what about that virus?"

A strange voice echoed from the darkness, and all heads shot up. The voice sent a sudden chill down Logan's spine, but it was Remy's unconscious whimper of fear that had the adamantium claws out and the Wolverine poised for battle. The laugh that spilled from the darkness could only have been described as… sinister.

The form from the shadows slowly became visible. Blue, boot clad feet were followed by legs long and thick as tree trunks. The torso was equally thick and muscled, framed by the numerous blue spider-leg strips of his cape. As he stepped into the light, he raised his head, revealing glowing red eyes and an equally wicked smile.

"Sinister!"

It seemed to be an eclectic gasp of shock.

"That's Mister Sinister…"

He laughed as Storm stepped forward as the leader of the X-men, eyes clouding over as she called upon the electric powers she controlled.

"Ah, Ms. Munroe, I think you might want to reconsider before zapping me. You know it will not harm me. However…, seeing as how this entire tunnel is a huge electrical conductor, I don't know how well your fellow X-men might fair, especially those of the Southern variety… "

The spider-legs of his cape parted and Sinister reached beside him, wrapping his hand firmly in the lengths of white and auburn hair he found there.

Logan assessed the situation carefully. Was that really Rogue, or just one of Sinister's tricks? He had not seen Rogue die, hadn't been there when they had buried her in the earth. For all he knew this could be her. But if it was, Sinister had definitely done something to her. The woman before him was thin, looked as if perhaps she'd been starved. Her usually vibrant green eyes remained constantly downcast, and she did not fight as he used her hair as leverage to throw her to her knees.

The X-men had been so distracted by the woman who bore a shocking resemblance to their lost teammate that they did not notice Gambit awaken. In fact, no one even noticed him at all until he staggered to the front of the group, planting himself firmly between Logan and Storm. Logan glanced over at the unstable man beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder for moral support, as well as to steady the younger man's balance.

They watched, helpless as the young woman on the floor tried to stand, and for the first time Logan noticed the clothes she had been wearing when he found her with Remy were gone, or at least mostly so. Shreds of the green body suit could still be seen across her sparse frame and the gloves were gone. As she moved shakily to her knees, Sinister advanced, pushing her back to the floor with his foot in the middle of her back.

"Stop it!"

Remy stepped forward before Logan or Ororo could stop him, tears brimming from the red on black eyes.

"Stop what? Oh… you mean this?"

With that Sinister kicked her in the side, sending her sprawling across the floor.

"Oui… that"

Remy's voice was cold and deadly as a hand dipped into the pocket of his duster, thumbing the deck of playing cards as he continued to advance towards Sinister, now standing only a few feet away. Sinister reached down to the fallen woman and hoisted her up by the shreds of cloth barely covering her breasts. He then punched her, releasing her to crumple back to the floor, a thin trickle of blood running down her chin, crimson a stark contrast against snowy skin.

"No.. I don't think I will…"

With that, Remy charged at him, a fury of cards showering down to explode on and around the evil mutant.

The exploding cards however, served only to infuriate Sinister, and Logan looked on in horror as Remy was caught in the backlash of Sinister's counter attack, his dulled senses unable to dodge the blow. With a feral growl, the Wolverine came to life as he saw Remy fall, running at Sinister with claws exposed. The remaining X-men followed suit, attacking Sinister in any way they could. Meanwhile, Hank moved off to where the auburn haired woman lay motionless on the cold, hard concrete floor. He managed to pull her to safety just as a misguided card exploded a few feet away.

The battle that ensued was one of the bloodiest Storm could remember. Unfortunately, most of the blood shed was there's, as Sinister seemed to heal almost as quickly as they could inflict new injuries. Jubilee had since been thrown from the fight, and Hank was attempting to revive her, as well as the mysterious woman. The last thing Storm remembered before she blacked out was two blinding red orbs burning into her eyes, and pain that swallowed her whole body.

Logan leapt on Sinister; knocking Storm from his grasp before any further harm could be done to their stand-in leader, who just happened to be one of his closest friends as well. Logan anchored himself to his foe with six long, sharp claws, which he buried deep into Sinister's chest. The wicked mutant cried out in agony as adamantium sliced through layers of muscle, skin and bone before he could knock the burly Canadian away. However, when Sinister gained the strength to throw Wolverine, he threw him hard, tossing the adamantium-laced skeleton into the wall hard enough to leave a dint.

Mister Sinister turned towards Gambit once more, the only remaining X-man standing, and just barely at that. Sinister's wounds had already begun to knit themselves closed and he advanced on the swaying Cajun. Remy felt around in his duster pocket, finding he had only three cards remaining.

"Merde… If I could just get him away from de others… maybe den I use ma staff… take 'im down once an' fo' all…."

Remy thought to himself as he began to back away as Sinister continued to advance. However, Remy's coordination was completely shot, and he had problems enough walking forward. His knees buckled and as he fought to regain his balance he somehow tripped over the back of his duster and fell to the floor, his bo-staff falling and rolling out of his reach. When Remy looked up, Sinister was standing over him. He bent and grabbed Remy by the front of his duster, lifting him up off the floor so he was eye level with the struggling young mutant.

"LeBeau, that's a nice woman you've managed to get yourself. Although, you probably wouldn't know, would you? I'll just tell you… that skin is so soft, so perfect…"

"What you do to her Sinister?!"

Remy's stomach churned at the thought of those disgusting hands touching Rogue.

"LeBeau, I'm surprised at you… you know I have no need for such things…"

Sinister roughly pushed Remy's hair back from his face, delighting in the anger, hatred, and confusion he found in those devil eyes.

"Besides, that woman there is something of a daughter to me, I must confess."

The crestfallen look on Gambit's face elicited more sickening laughter.

"You knew she was dead, LeBeau. Although, I must admit… it seems some of your little friend's memories remained intact during the cloning process. Indeed, not only does she know who you are.. But she kissed you!"

One of Sinister's hands released the duster, long thick fingers wrapping around Remy's exposed throat, squeezing hard enough to restrict the flow of air as the young Cajun began to squirm and kick in midair.

"Well, I couldn't stand for that, could I? I fear I had to resort to some violence. After all, what kind of loving father would I be if I did not punish her?"

The hand on Remy's duster slowly released, leaving him suspended several feet from the floor by his throat.

"Oh, I won't bore you with the details… I doubt you have time to hear them anyway…"

More laughter

"Just think of it this way, LeBeau. I'm actually doing you a favor by giving you this quick, easy death. Would you like to know a little secret?"

Sinister lifted the young man, bringing him close so his sick, hot breath mockingly tickled his face.

"That young woman over there isn't Rogue. She looks like her; she has the same DNA, even some of the same memories. But you and I both know she's just a clone. However, she's a very important clone, and serves a vital purpose to my plan. That woman over there, is the living embodiment of the Virus X. She does not even know of the lethal power that she is, does not know that she virtually breathes death. Does not know that she is going to bring about the downfall of the weak, both human and mutant alike. Would you like to know something else, LeBeau? With that one little kiss, she infected you with Virus X, for which there is no cure, and now… you are going to die, no matter what…"

Shock flickered momentarily through the red on black eyes, but his lungs were screaming so loudly for air by now it did not last. Sinister through his head back in laughter and Gambit took that moment to fumble inside his jacket pocket for the three remaining cards. The survival instincts had taken a hold of Remy LeBeau by this point, and any feelings of doubt that would have usually stabbed at the back of his mind were silent. His fingers trembled with effort as he tried to get a firm hold of the cards, eventually grasping them and pulling them from his pocket. The edges of his vision were beginning to darken, and his lungs burned. With the last of his strength, Remy charged the three final cards and shoved them into Sinister's mouth as the mutant was still laughing.

The explosion that ensued was enough to free Gambit of the death hold Sinister had on his throat, and the half-conscious young mutant was sent sliding and sprawling across the cement floor from the sheer impact. Several minutes passed before Remy could manage to open his eyes, and the sight that met him made him wish he hadn't.

Sinister lay in a cold pool of his own blood, the greater majority of his head gone. No, not gone, he realized, just… relocated. Fragments of bone and small chunks of grey mush that had once been brain were littered across the floor, along with blood. The blood was everywhere and Remy had to fight the bile rising in his throat as he realized he was covered in the sick red substance. The young Cajun had begun to go into shock when he felt himself surrounded by big, blue arms and lifted up and away from the carnage. Hank pulled off the duster, cutting away the top half of Remy's body suit. The blood soaked garment was thrown aside and moist sterile cloths were wiping the splattered blood from his face, his chest, his hair.

"Are you alright, my friend?"

Hank's eyes shown with worry kindness and concern. And… respect?

"O..Oui Henri. I'm feelin fine…"

Remy sat up, shaking the last remnants of darkness from the fog of his brain.

"Very good. That was a very brave thing you did there, my friend. But I'm afraid heroic praise must be saved for a later date, as our comrades have not faired so well as yourself in this fray. Would you please keep an eye on our mystery lady, as well as our friends while I go and check on our resident Wolverine?"

Remy blinked back surprise as Hank hurried over to where Logan was beginning to wake after his intimate moment with the wall. Then… Hank had not heard what Sinister had said. Must not have. If Hank knew that Remy had contracted Virus X, the furry blue doctor would already have them all back on the Blackbird and speeding towards the mansion so he could devise a cure. Remy smiled wryly at the irony of it all.

"Oh well, is better this way. Nothin Hank can do fer ol' Gambit anyway. Least not gonna have to spend de rest o' ma life in de lab.."

Gambit's train of thought was broken as he saw Rogue… the clone was beginning to wake.

"No, not gonna just call her 'de clone'…. "

He thought to himself before turning on the charm.

"Hey dere, chere, glad ta see ya wake.."

He stroked a hand through the striped hair, smiling at the look of wonder that crossed her face.

"R…Remy?"

Remy bit his lip hard, telling himself repeatedly this was not Rogue, trying to calm the swelling tenderness of his heart while at the same time steeling himself against the anger he felt towards he for infecting him with Virus X.

"She just a poor, scared petite… not her fault fer any o' dis mess…"

In his mind he repeated this, used it like water to wash away the other feelings raging through him. But to her, he merely continued to smile, trying to project an aura of comfort to the now trembling girl. However, her eyes suddenly went wide, fixed on some movement behind him, and she tried to warn him of the danger, but by then it was already too late.

From across the room, Sinister's prone form had slowly began to move again. His mysterious healing capability closing off the severed blood vessels and veins in his head, his spinal cord being the first thing to regenerate itself, restoring mobility. However, none of the occupants of the room had noticed any of this until one of the twitching, searching, blood covered hands had found Remy's forgotten bo-staff on the cement floor.

Remy's hold on "Rogue" tightened reflexively and he shielded her with his body, turning his head just in time to see the pointed end of the bo-staff come hurtling towards him before his vision was obstructed by a wall of yellow spandex stretched taught over clenched muscles. Big, strong arms wrapped around Remy's waist, shielding him as he shielded the trembling woman. However, the bo-staff connected before Logan had time to execute the roll he had planned to clear them from danger. Remy looked up into Logan's face, shock and horror etching his features. The sobbing woman was instantly forgotten and Remy turned, taking Logan in his arms before the older man could collapse. The white's of Logan's eyes flickered, breath fast and sharp and uneven. Remy cupped Logan's face in his hands, tears streaming down his face, touching his fingers tentatively against the nearly black trickle of blood streaming from the corner of Logan's mouth.

"Cher… non.. non… "

Remy's frantic, whispered sobs were the last thing Logan remembered before he lost consciousness.