Phoenix Unleashed

Chapter 2

Logan woke with a throbbing headache. He was lying on the floor of an unused classroom. Getting to his feet, he heard breathing from somewhere. "Storm?" Logan called out. He climbed through the hole in the wall and into a deserted hall. Logan looked around. Scott was crouched by the wall. "What happened here?" Logan said examing a cavity in the floor. "She.....god, Logan, she's evil...." Scott said....tears rolling down his face..."I under stand what..."

"You don't understand at ALL! She's my wife. And last week I thought she was dead! Now she's trying to kill me! Everything we had is gone. All the things we've done together...." Scott yelled.

"You don't have any family or anyone you care about!"

"Look, mate, you don't know that! Anyway, I was just being nice." Logan said angrily. "I'm sorry" Scott sobbed. "I just.....want Jean back" Logan, feeling uncomfortable said. "C'mon, let's find storm"

"Siren? Can you go get the professor? You're not hurt?" Siren shook her head and ran down the hall. Storm picked up Betty and ran down the stairs and into the lab. she put her limp body down on the table.

"Can't Remy 'elp?" Remy asked. "No, leave this to Logan and Scott." for minutes, they stood in silence before the professor said. "what do they call you now?"

"Dey call me Gambit." Pulling out a cigarette. "no smoking. So what have you been doing?" "mostly Theivin'" Gambit mumbled. "any family?" Professor asked leaning back in his wheelchair. "Gambit had a wife, but he had to leave her, her name was Bella. it was a marriage to stop fighting." sensing that Gambit didn't like the subject, professor asked "would you like a tour of the school?"

"I'll help you." Logan said suddenly, as they walked down the hall. "Help me do what?" "get her back." "why would you do that?" "'cos I miss her to, everyone does, and it would be better for all of us if she came back."

"err.............thanks..." They were silent again as they went down the steps. "STORM!" Logan yelled.

"oh, good. you two are here. she's unconscious, possibly in a coma. I don't know...how..." storm said, throwing her arms around Logan and crying into his leather jacket.

"That's Colossus and Jubilee" The professor said when they entered the Common room. "this is Bobby Drake and Rogue. and Siren....What is it?"

"Professor, its Betty, she's really hurt, Ms Munroe told me to get you." she said puffing, "follow me Siren. Gambit, you stay with Rogue and Bobby." commanded Xavier.

Gambit sat on an armchair and grabbed a cigarette, then pulled out a flaming card and lit the cigarette and put it to his mouth."so. whatduya do around here for fun?" Bobby stared at Gambit. "do you like cards?" Gambit smiled widely and pulled a pack from his pocket.

"So, Logan almost killed you, huh?" Rogue said, holding her deck of cards close to her face. "Ch'yeah, what's wid dat guy?!" "well you were breaking in." Bobby said, placing a card on the table. "Don't you know any other games but Spoons?" Gambit said, grabbing a spoon of the highly waxed table, winning for the tenth time

Scott, Logan and storm were still in the hall when the professor and Siren came down in the lift. "Thank-you" he said before the doors closed on siren again and took her up several floors. "Professor, I...." Xavier put a hand up and storm couldn't move her mouth. once in the lab, he shut the door behind him. He examined the girl. monitored her heart rate. checked for broken bones. putting his hand on her left temple, scenes rushed into his head. alkali dam, water, Scott, mystique, magneto, Logan. Xavier pulled his hand away. "Erik!" he whispered. opening the lab door, The professor felt 3 pairs of eyes tensely staring at him. "she fine but blind in her left eye. She just took in to many of Jeans thoughts and overloaded." he said, not looking at Scott. "when she wakes, I don't want ANYONE asking her about what happened."

"That's the only proof of mutants being maltreated. this could have solved our problems!" the president raged. "It is people like you who are stoping the reconciliation!"

"Don't you remember one tried to kill you?! Is that the kind of people you want to reconciliat with?" Welling said, just as angry.

"What, are you saying all humans are perfect and would never have any intention of hurting their fellow man? What about striker? his experiments are barbaric! the mutants have not been doing anything like that to us!"

"Not that we know of president!"
"OUT! get out of my sites" Welling turned, hiding his smile. "I'll be back in the morning, to see if this odd idea of a norm/mutant civilisation has left your head." when welling had left the room. the president let out a sigh, running his hands through his hair, the words We'll be watching swirled around his head.

Gambit smiled at Rogue and she returned it. There was something about him she liked. Bobby thoughts were completely different. His eyes were shifty and his chain smoking was disgusting. Bobby glared icily at Gambit. "Don' you tink is gettin' cold in here?" Gambit said, staring back at Bobby intently. "No. I think its just fine actually." Still staring at Bobby, he pulled out a flaming card again and lit another cigarette. Bobby looked at the cigarette and it froze. "you shouldn't smoke. it's bad for you." bobby glared. "Talk about cold" Gambit stood up and walked away. "Bobby!" Rogue said chasing after gambit.

"I'm sorry about Bobby. He's like this around strangers. He nearly froze Logans hand when he first met him" she said, catching up to him. "its nothin', ma cherie." Gambit smiled and kissed her gloved hand. he then walked off down the hall. Rogue blushed. "What was that?!" Bobby said moving to rogues side. "what was what?"

"The kissing the hand thing."

"God, Bobby, he just trying to fit in" she said, walking off after gambit.

"doin' a great job, isn't he." Bobby said angrily to himself. blowing out steam.