***

           Disclaimer – I don't own X-Men: Evolution

           __

           "We're supposed to be gettin' married, Remy!" The blonde woman raised her voice at him. "If it wasn't for that bleach job gothic style Barbie over there—"

           "I'll show you 'Barbie'—" Rogue snapped, jerking forward but Remy wrapped an arm around her and held her against him so she couldn't viciously attack his 'fiancée.' "And this is natural! Unlike your dye job."

           "I don't love you Bella. I'm not goin' to marry someone I don't love." He glanced down at Rogue. "Will you stop squirmin' around?"

           "We were fated for this, Remy. I should be more important than her. Why don't you get ride of her? Why don't you just—"

           "Pick a card, any card!" Pyro shoved cards under Remy's nose, breaking the Cajun's thoughts. "C'mon don't be shy!" Remy just stared up at him; his red eyes didn't seem to bother the Australian. "Pick a bloody card, mate!" He reached up, grabbed a card and looked at it.

           The King of Hearts.

           That was worth an eye roll. "Alright, mon ami, guess what card it is."

           The orange haired boy eyed him suspiciously. "A four of clubs?" He shook his head. "You sure?" He nodded his head, which made Pyro scratch the back of his. "This ain't right."

           "I changed your cards." Colossus, who was in his flesh form, was sitting across from Pyro in the bus. "You get no where by cheating with 52 four of club cards." He reached into his pocket and handed Remy the pack of cards.

           "So, you tried to cheat?" Remy asked, arching a brow. He placed the card between his index and middle finger and charged it. "You know what happens when people try to cheat Remy Lebeau?"

           "He talks in third person?"

           "Remy, uncharge the card." Mystique warned from the front of the bus. "The last thing we need is an exploding bus caused by an inexperienced mutant."

           "I haven't exactly learned how to uncharge an object yet.."

           "We're all going to die!" Pyro yelled, falling to the ground and landed on Colossus's feet. "Ow."

           "Throw it out the window." Mystique snapped, "Hurry up you ignorant—"

           Remy cleared his throat. "Insult the person who can kill you right now?"

           "Remy." Irene was now the one warning. "Throw it out the window."

           "At a car? Target practice." Pyro's muffled voice came from the ground. He was simply ignored. 

           "Throw it!" Irene yelled, knowing the minute he let go of it, it only had a short time until it went off.

           Slowly, as if he were tantalizing all of them, he opened the bus window and flicked the card out. He smirked as the way it felt, slipping away form his fingers and how it exploded. For a split second, he forgot about Rogue.

           ***

           "Whose bright idea was it to steal a bus?" Pyro asked noticing that his foot was sticking to the ground by gum. He made a face. "This just ain't right."

           "The bus isn't stolen. Just.. lent.." Colossus replied staring straight ahead. "When will we arrive in Louisiana?"

           Remy rested his head on the window, sighing heavily. Why had he left? Oh yes, now he remembered. The Cajun felt like blowing up everyone on the bus.

           "It's Rogue, isn't it?" Bella stood on the balcony staring up at the stars as Remy walked outside. "She's the reason you don't want to marry me." She seemed to empathize on 'me', which made him resist the erge of rolling his eyes. She glanced at him, revealing her glossy blue eyes to him. "I can't believe you would let a River rat come between us, Remy."

           "I care for you a lot, Bell. But I just don't love you. Do you really want to get married to someone who can't love you back?"

           "Yes." She sniffled loudly.

           "You're bein' selfish."

           "I am!? We've been engaged since before we were born! Our marriage is our destiny Remy."

           He felt as if he were in some soap opera. "Mon dieu. Listen to yourself. Even without Rogue I would have decided to call the engagement off."

           "Your father ain't goin' to be happy about this." She snapped at him, her blonde hair blowing into her face from the sudden breeze.

           "I know. I'm willin' to the sacrifices." He said, running a hand through his hair. "I just hope that you'll understand someday."

           "The only thing I'll understand is that you're blowin' me off for some girl you've only known for a few years. You spend so much time with her, you're better off marryin' her!"

           "Rogue is just a friend. She has nothin' to do with—"

           "Nothin' to do with what?" The soft Southern accent cut into the air and broke off his sentence. Rogue stood behind Remy, a smirk was planted on her face. "Oh the whole marriage thing?" She asked, recalling what had just happened earlier. She walked up and stood besides him.

           Bella stomped her foot. "We're supposed to be gettin' married, Remy!"

           Remy blinked to see dark green eyes staring into his. Across pale skin, freckles stuck out like a sore thumb. He blinked again to only realize Pyro's face was only inches away from his.

           "Ahh! Get away from me!" He pushed the Austrialian back, causing the orange haired boy to fall off the seat and on the floor. "What the heck do you think you were doin' homme!?"

           "You didn't blink for over a minute! I wanted to make sure aliens didn't take over your brain o' something." He said in defense. Colossus just looked down at him.

           "Just stand up, sit down and quit making a fool out of yourself, St. John."

           "Alrighty then!" He said, standing up while using his Jim Carrey impression. "Pi-o-t-t-er!" He stuttered and then shrugged. "Can I just call ya Pete?" The Russian shook his head. "Fine then, Colossus.. dear." The pyromaniac grinned and winked at him as he picked up his orange visor.

           Remy picked up the deck of cards Colossus had given him earlier and took out a card. He placed ran his fingers down the sooth surface and placed it between his index and middle finger.

           "Remy." Bella smiled as her fiancé walked into the room but frowned when he did not smile back at her. "What's wrong cher?"

           "We need to talk." His accent was thick with seriousness. The look on his face was solemn. He stood in the doorway of her living room wearing his trench coat. His arms were crossed lazily on his chest.

           "About what?" She asked innocently. She knew not to tick him off when he was in a serious mood, so for once, she decided to keep her mouth shut and let him do all the talking.

           "About our engagement.." He seemed almost nervous. "I can't marry someone I don't love. It's not fair for me o' you."

           "This is a joke.. right? Good joke, Remy." She laughed at him but it faded when the look, the solemn one, was still on his face. He was serious. She snarled at him. "I know why—"

           "Hey guys." As if on cue, Rogue wandered into the room and stood next to Remy. She looked at Remy and at Bella. "Did I miss somethin'?"

           Before Remy could respond, Bella ran from the room.

           "He's doin' it again!" Pyro laughed breaking Remy's thoughts. "He's tryin' to kill us!" The Cajun looked down at the charged card place in his hand. It glowed with kinetic energy.

           "Remy." Mystique snapped from up front again. It was then he realized she was driving the small bus. It surely wasn't Sabretooth or Irene.

           Remy stared at the card, feeling the slight tingly sensation wave through his fingers. He concentrated on the card and pulling the energy back. With a dull pain, which felt like a shock, the glowing faded. "Ow!" He hissed dropping the card.

           "He did it." Colossus mumbled surprised as he, Remy and Pyro stared down as the card swayed down and rested on the ground.

           Remy smirked and stared down at the deck of cards that were laying down on the seat next to him. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he reached down for them.

           "Ah-ah-ah! Pyro don't think so!" Pyro managed to grab the cards before he could. "You, mate, are gettin' these back when we get off of this bloody thing. Hmm, o' I can fire 'em up!" Remy glared at him. "I know, I know; don't mess with a guy who can blow ya to the moon's cards!"

           ***

           "So, who is this Magneto character?" Remy asked Colossus as they got off the bus. Pyro stood behind Remy and shoved his cards into one of Remy's trench coat's pockets. "What are you guys? His lackeys?"

           "I am not a lackey."

           Pyro stepped over to the tall man and patted his shoulder. "Sure you're not." He gave him a wide lopsided grin and then looked over at Remy. "Mags is the funniest bloke in world. Almost as funny as the punnin' blind gal!"

           "Magneto will be here soon." Mystique said looking around the abandoned parking lot. "Pyro, you better learn to keep your mouth shut this time." He opened his mouth to defend himself but she gave him such a nasty look he looked away and down at his boots.

           Remy's mouth slightly opened. He hadn't seen anyone shut that guy up since he met him.

           "He's here." Mystique hissed at the four men. She glanced over at Irene who had a calm look on her face.

           "So this is Remy Lebeau." Remy turned around to see a tall man wearing a cape and a bucket over his head. He chuckled. "Find something amusing, Mr. Lebeau?"

           Remy grimaced at Mr. Lebeau but shook his head. "Non sir." Sir Bucket Head. He thought, amused, as he suddenly thought of the man in a chicken costume and walking around in a bucket.

           "Do you want to be a part of my team?"

           "Do I have a choice?"

           "Do you know not to answer a question with a question?"

           "Did you know I don't care?" Just about everyone stared to exchange glances.

           Magneto stared at the young Cajun, as if he were studying him. "What's your codename?"

           "Codename?" He arched a brow. He really hadn't thought of one of those. "Can't I be an original?"

           "Psh. Right." Pyro mumbled under his breath. "What's Remy gonna be called? Charge-me-up-boy? What a move that is from Remy."

           "Lets go." Magneto finally stated. No one objected.

           ***

           "This is the base." Pyro said as he lazily walked down the hallway with his arms folded behind his head. "Home sweet home, eh? We aren't that far from New Orleans. Ain't that your hometown, mate?"

           "Oui." He murmured, looking around. "So, how long have you been workin' for Bucket-head?" He asked, clearly changing the subject.

           "Too long." The other male said dryly. For a nano second, his big goofy grin faded but just as quickly as it disappeared, it came back. "Ye know those X-Man blokes?"

           "Yeah?" He asked, not bothering to use French. Speaking in the foreign language usually just confused the Australian. Colossus has told him 'oui' meant 'yes' not his peter.

           "The bald lad, Xavier, is Maggie's enemy."

           "So that makes the X-Men our enemy?"

           "Yep-yep. Get ready to fight 'em a few times a week. But we're always home in time for dinner time!"

           "What made you work for him?"

           "What's with all the questions?" Even through he was still grinning, a glint of anger sparkled in his green eyes.

           "Nothin', mon ami, nothin'."

           ***

           "He has an attitude problem but I don't see that as a threat." Magneto proclaimed to Mystique. "I still have yet to see his power."

           "He is, Magneto." Irene spoke up, knowing her statement would settle things. "Let him get settled. He will make a great addition to the Acolytes."

           "You heard her." The blue skinned woman said gesturing Destiny. "Just thank me later, Mags."

           ***

           This is where I belong. Remy sat down on a bed. This was now his room. I ain't no X-Man. I ain't goin' back home now. This is where I'm destined to be, I guess. He slipped the cards out from his pocket. Might as well get used to all this. Need to make a name for myself.

           St. John then wandered in the room, without knocking. "Hey Frenchie, have you seen my light—" A charged card whizzed past the side of his face and exploded out in the hall. "Bloody hell! Good thing you have bad aim!" He blinked. "You could've killed me! Who do ya think you are!?"

           "Gambit." Remy stated, flipping the cards from one hand to another. "That's who."

           __

           Part two completed: December 1, 2003

          

           This chapter was hard to write because I only had two chapters planned out. The first one and the third. I'm sorry if this chapter isn't satisfaction, but hey—I tried! :)