Wild Dislaimers…kept me from getting sued…because I don't own X-Men Evo…I only improved.

AN: Alright…I don't want to ruin the flow of my Cypher Arc…But I wanted to see what kind of reaction I got with this one…I know Ishandahalf loves this…do you? If there are no biters then I'll put it on hold til I've finished Cypher.

Wild Horses

One

Early fall bloomed in New Orleans bringing a welcome end to the humidity of the proceeding season and a return to routine for the students freed last June from the strictures of learning.  One boy stood alone leaning against a stone pillar just off the school grounds, his body hidden by a well worn brown trench coat but totally at ease, his eyes invisible beneath a pair of dark sunglasses.

By all rights he should have been celebrating, it was his last year at the exclusive high school that housed New Orleans' richest teenagers; as a senior it was his place to rule it's hallowed halls like a prince.  He had an understanding girlfriend who like himself was not quite ready to settle into the roles their families had picked out for them. He was third in line to lead the city's illustrious Thieves Guild. Most of all he had the unswerving circle of his closest friends there with him ready to fill yet another year with laughter and mayhem.

Remy Lebeau should have been a very happy young man; instead he shoved his dark sunglasses up his nose and pulled out the silver cigarette case Bella had just given him for his eighteenth birthday.  A little concentration and the tip flared to life under his index finger allowing Remy to take in a deep drag of the much craved nicotine.  Exhaling he watched the other students scurry towards their respective groups of friends shouting their 'hellos' and catching up after the halcyon days of summer. 

Remy didn't bother hiding his smirk as the sheep continued unaware of the wolves in their mist-the irony of it never failed to make him laugh. Sighing he lifted his arm to bring the cigarette back to his lips when it was plucked away, "Hahn!"

The very same Belladonna Boudreaux-daughter of the leader of the Assassin's Guild and the girl he had been engaged to from the age of eight-stood in front of Remy holding his cigarette in one hand a look of utter disgust on her face, "Didn't anyone tell you dese t'ings stunt yer growth?" 

"Remy never hear any complaints," he leaned in and planted a light kiss on her forehead, "You look radiant today chère."

Flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder Bella pouted her pink rosebud mouth, "Ah always look radiant…"

"Except first t'ing in de mornin'," Remy's freckle faced redheaded younger cousin and fellow thief Emil laughed as he took up his place of honour next to Remy-this had been their routine all through school, "We heard dat was pretty scary."

"You'll never know," Bella laughed and wrapped a tanned arm around Remy's waist as she settled in to banter with Emil, "Everybody knows de Lapin is hopeless wit de filles…by de way you ask Celeste out yet?'

Emil reddened to the tips of his ears and it took all of Remy's control not to laugh-one thing his cousin wasn't was a ladies man-that was Remy's job.  "I uh…you cain't rush a man Bella…dese t'ings take time and…"

"Guts." Another of Remy's cousins-the dark haired, stocky Theo joined the group and fell right into teasing the younger boy, another tradition; "And you don got none."

They watched Emil sputter and search the crowds for a friendly face and dove when he found it.  Although not even in his darkest hour would Remy have considered Mickey Fitzgerald a 'friendly face' the young assassin positively radiated hostility-it was what she did best. Remy tried not to laugh as gawky Emil tried to lead the glowering girl towards the group, "Mickey will defend my honour…won ya Mick?"

Mickey glared up at Emil through her purple bangs and rolled her eyes while finally breaking out of the thin boy's grip, "No."

Smirking at the look of abject horror on his cousin's face Remy pulled another cigarette for himself and one for the clearly in need Mickey, "Here 'tite dis make it better?"

Pushing the long purple strands away from her pointed face and over her shaved head Mickey twisted her lips and let Remy use his finger to light her cigarette.  She offered a wry smile in return to Bella's anguished look-they had both made it abundantly clear they wouldn't quit smoking. "Perhaps." She exhaled making sure to blow smoke in Emil's direction, "But they won't let me smoke in English class so what's the point?"

"Always the rebel?" Bella teased the girl who looked very out of place amongst the more conservative styles the others wore-it had to be hard being the only punk in the school.

Remy grinned at Mickey as she shrugged her black leather clad shoulders-he had a soft spot for the only other mutant attending L'école, "Live hard, die young and leave one good lookin' corpse hahn Fantôme?"

"Always bury your enemies deep and your friends deeper Gambit," she flashed a genuine smile laughing at the uneasiness her comment created in Emil and Theo-it didn't bother Remy, you had to know Mickey well to get her sense of humour.

Bella let out a small snort of disbelief, "Why do de two of ya insist on usin' dose nicknames? Dis is school not business."

"Yer just jealous you don got one," Theo remarked softly proving once again that it was the quiet ones you needed to watch out for, "Even Lapin got one."

Turning Bella glared at the thief seeming more impressive than a five foot tall woman had right to. Without warning she jumped towards Theo punching him ineffectively-if she had wanted to hurt him she could have.  The dark haired boy sighed and picked Bella up and let her lash out at him while the others laughed-most of the group's disagreements were solved with light hearted wrestling.

"Mademoiselle Boudreaux, Monsieur Lebeau that's enough!" the nasal voice of Vice-Principal Dumas cut through the laughter, "That is no way to behave in public and those had better not be cigarettes I see in your mouths Monsieur Lebeau and Mademoiselle Fitzgerald. I've told you that smoking on school grounds is prohibited…"

"We're not on school grounds," Mickey drawled in her accentless voice and pointed to the crack in the pavement she and Remy used to mark the boundary.

Dumas drew himself into a small ball of self-righteous fury-nothing got to him faster than the girl's blunt refusal to bow to his authority, "I will not tolerate insubordination from you again this year Michaela, don't push me. As for the rest of you," he pointed to Theo, Bella, and Emil while shooting Remy a gimlet eye; "I'll never understand why you insist on associating with these delinquents…"

"Our parents make us." Emil broke in straight faced, "Said we had to make sure little Remy felt loved and secure…Do you think I'd have anything to do with him if he wasn't blood related?"

Lifting a hand Dumas attempted to stem the flow of words coming from the youngest Lebeau's mouth, "Enough. All of you get to class or you'll spend your first lunch back in detention with me."

The teens watched the short, podgy, balding man stalk away and wisely held back their mirth until he was well out of ear shot.  Remy pulled his sunglasses off and rubbed tears away from his red on black eyes, "Don he give us de same lecture every year?"

"Since I started here anyway." Mickey shrugged frowning after the Vice Principal, "Why does he insist on calling me Michaela?"

"Because it's your name?" Emil snorted only to catch the evil glare being sent his way through a veil of purple, "And what a lovely name it is…oh yes…so…umm…don't kill me."

Remy laughed aloud as Mickey cracked her knuckles silently a method of quieting Emil she had picked up early in her tenure in the Big Easy.  Dropping the last of his cigarette Remy offered the girl a smile, "You got AP Chem. wit Remy an Theo?"

"Of course she does," Bella chuckled elbowing Theo slightly, "Or else de two of ya would never pass.  What would ya'll do if Mickey didn't take de same science classes as you?"

Shrugging quietly Theo darted his dark eyes to Remy, "Same thing we did before Mickey moved here."

"Dat's right," Remy put an arm around his cousin and shot his girlfriend his best innocent smile, "Fail miserably."

"And what does Mickey get for helpin' ya? Hmmmm?" Bella put her hands on her hips and pouted in the way Remy knew was supposed to drive him mad with desire.

"Oth'a den bein' seen in de company of two handsome gentlemen like us?" Theo grinned widely actually getting a small smile to appear on Mickey's face.

Bella however rolled her eyes, "I got the Mal au Couer…" she made a face and turned her attention on the other girl, "What dey give ya?"

This time when Mickey smiled it was a cross between childish wonder and pure evil-something only she could pull of successfully, "They're thieves. They get me exam questions; we sell them to jocks too dumb to study. How do you think Remy affords that motorcycle of his on what his Père gives him?"

The bell rang for homeroom and the five friends surrendered the last of their freedom and entered the school dreading the long day ahead.

******************************

"Is this really necessary Momma?" a light Mississippi lit asked as it's owner threw her clothes into her suitcase, "I mean you could let Kurt and me stay here while you go to New Orleans, we'd be just fine on our own."

The blue skinned woman standing in the doorway frowned at her daughter and shook her bright red head, "As tempting as that idea is Rogue, I don't think so.  I may have need of you and your brother, and I'm certainly not leaving you two alone while I go."

"You could send us back to Irene." Hope filled the emerald eyes of the girl known as Rogue, "I mean with that image thingy Magneto gave Kurt…we could go to school there like normal kids and…"

"That's precisely what you will do in New Orleans.  The children of the Thieves Guild do it and so can you and Kurt." The answer was clipped, "Do you really think you can go back to Mississippi after what happened when your powers manifested? Really Rogue I thought you would be the practical one."

The packing became more violent as Rogue ceased to care what condition her clothes would be in-it was the only way she could hold her temper in check.  Mystique knew how much she hated being reminded of that day four years ago when she had accidentally absorbed all of the memories of her childhood best friend.  Over time she had learned to accept her mutation-the one that barred Rogue from skin on skin contact unless she wanted to drain the memories, thoughts and in the case of other mutants the powers of the person she touched.  But no amount of acceptance would allow Rogue to forgive herself for Cody's three month coma; it was a cross she'd always bear.  "Fine Momma, have it your way.  What are you gonna be doin' down there anyway?"

"I've been asked to lend my expertise to the Thieves Guild; their Patriarch was quite generous with the terms." Mystique shrugged not liking the venom in her only daughter's voice-the mood swings of teenagers was something even an accomplished terrorist like herself feared.

"Don tell me you're abandonin' the cause of Homo Superior to become a thief," Rogue rolled her eyes dramatically, "Whatever will Magneto do without you?"

"I'm sure Magnus will be just fine." Mystique's lips tightened, "Things are quiet right now and I feel my skills are not being challenged enough.  Not that I need to explain myself to you Rogue, I am still your mother."

Rogue ducked her head so her mother wouldn't see her roll her eyes, "Like you'd let me forget."

"Be that as it may," Mystique's tone made it very clear that she had heard the muttered comment, "When you finish packing I'd like you to help your brother.  Our flight leaves at o-seven-hundred and I'd like for all of us to be ready.  If you have to leave things we'll replace them in New Orleans."

Not answering Rogue crossed her arms over her chest and watched her mother walk away.  It had been a common occurrence in her life-Mystique had given up both of her children at birth to be raised away from her 'unconventional' lifestyle.  Rogue herself had come to live with her natural mother at the age of twelve-just after the Cody debacle, the next year her younger brother Kurt's powers manifested and he too joined the poster family for 'Terrorist Mothers Weekly'.  

In seven years Rogue had lived in at least ten different countries as Mystique worked as the right hand of the genetic radical known as Magneto-and while Rogue admired the goal of making the world a safer place for mutants it was the methods she felt left much to be desired.  Her disenchantment didn't prevent Rogue from participating in the rigorous training both physical and emotional that Mystique demanded of her children.  It hadn't taken Kurt more than a few months to master the ability to teleport over short distances, but Rogue had still to prevent her imprinting from taking everything from the people she touched.  For now the only solution was to have as little skin contact as humanly possible.

"Rogue?" she dropped a dark green mesh shirt into her suitcase and turned to her brother.

She couldn't help the smile his blue, elfin face created for her.  Despite all of the messed up things Mystique had done to her only daughter, Rogue still blessed the day she had been reunited with her little brother.   Kurt's eternally sunny personality was a godsend amidst the gloom and doom characteristic of both of the Darkholme women.  "Yeah Elf?"

He entered her room and sat lightly on the edge of her bed avoiding the undergarments spread there like the plague, "Where is it this time? When are we leaving?"

"New Orleans this time," Rogue sat as close to him as she could without touching Kurt, "The plane leaves at seven am.  You want me to help you pack?"

"Nein," He twitched his tail gently from side to side, "I have less then you so I shouldn't take long. I'll see you in the morning."

He stood and walked to the door with his odd hunched over gait then stopped just short before turning to face her, "Maybe this time it'll be different?"

Rogue tried to bring a reassuring smile to her face but somehow she knew her effort didn't quite cut it, "I hope so Elf."

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Translations:

L'école – School

Mal au Couer – an upset stomach or literally 'you're making me want to vomit'