Mesmero slammed Gambit into the wall. He went to get back up but something grabbed him and forced him back. He looked to his side and saw two Mesmeros.

"Don't you dare fucking pretend that you don't know!" Mesmero spat, "You humiliated me, ruined my plans, and did something far worse than you ever meant to do."

Gambit just starred at him in confusion. He didn't even know the man, what could he have done to make him so mad? And how many of these Mesmero images did he have?

"I'm going to do the same thing to you. Starting with her." He outstretched his arm and pointed to a wall. Parts of it slowly moved to the side revealing Rogue tied to a wall. She wasn't moving.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Gambit screamed.

"Oh, I have yet to do my worst." His voice became dark and eerie.

"Who are you?"

The man gave a sickening grin and slowly pulled back his hood. Gambit looked up at the man's face in horror.

The shadows twisted around his face and revealed large, blood stained bandages wrapped tightly around his forehead. His eyes were barely visible because of how dark they were. They looked blood-shot and parts of them were practically gone. Then Gambit realized, when the man moved, his eyes didn't. He was blind. His eyes were basically dead just sitting in the man's eye sockets.

Gambit couldn't stop starring at his disfigured facial features as he realized who it was.

"Mesmero."

Mesmero let his smile fall and moved his head towards Gambit, "Yes. It's me. I'm almost surprised you could tell it was me."

He took a step closer to Gambit.

"But, how are you…"

"Alive?" He said, more of a statement than a question, "You see, after the fight, you thought I died. But I managed to sneak away with out you noticing. I couldn't see a thing but I could still hear and feel things around me. And you see, you didn't completely destroy me…."

Mesmero began to unravel the bandages around his head. They fell to the floor in a heap and Gambit couldn't take his eyes away from him.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Was anyone in that hallway at the time?" Beast demanded.

Ray shrugged, "I dunno. Me and Bobby were in our room the whole time. All I saw was a bright light from under the door but when I opened it, the light was gone." He explained.

"Yea, and when we walked out there, we found this." Bobby held something out in front of Beast. It was jack-in-the-box.

Beast just starred at it. He picked it up and flipped it over only to find a picture of Mesmero.

Just then, Pyro and Tabitha came running down the hallway, "What happened?" She breathed.

"We 'eard a boom." Pyro said, catching up to her, "Wha 'appened?"

"We're not sure what. But do you guys know if anyone was in this hallway?" He asked them quickly.

"If someone was in here wouldn't they still be here?" Tabitha asked.

"No." Pyro said suddenly. Tabitha looked over at him, "Remy an' Rogue were walkin around 'ere before." He said.

"That's odd." Beast sighed. 'Where could they've gone? Mesmero's dead. He couldn't have done anything.' He thought, 'Then why'd Bobby and Ray find his jack o lantern or what ever that is in the hallway?'

Just then it hit him. "Mesmero's still alive. It is very possible for him to be still alive."

"What?"

"John, you were right. Mesmero is still alive. That explains everything." Beast thought out loud, "The jack-in-the-box, Gambit and Rogue's sudden disappearance. Everything! It makes perfect sense!"

Tabitha just starred at him, "Okay, you're starting to scare me Mr. McCoy."

"Mesmero kidnapped Gambit and Rogue for revenge. That knife might not have killed him but the explosion would have done something wouldn't it?"

"Well yeah, but I don't see where you're going with this." Tabitha said.

Beast looked over at Pyro, "When you saw Magneto, that wasn't Magneto at all, that was just one of Mesmero's images. Mesmero kidnapped Gambit when he was weak from the stab.

"So he must've kidnapped Rogue to…" Tabitha stopped to think.

Pyro starred at her as if realizing something, "He wouldn't…would he? He doesn't have anything against Rogue. Does he?"

"Why'd he kidnap her the first time?

Beast voice became serious, "To get to Gambit. He must have something against him."

Tabitha sighed, "Well duh! Gambit practically killed the guy!"

"No, I mean even before. Why did he kidnap Rogue the first time? I'm sure he wasn't just following orders. It must have been to get to Gambit.

"Why?"

"I don't know. But we have to find them. We have to find Mesmero."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

His head was completely black. Most of the skin was gone and Gambit could see exactly where the knife had exploded. A large piece of his skull on the back of his head and the front was gone. And the instant the bandages had been removed, blood began to trickle down the side of his face.

Gambit was speechless.

"But I managed to survive and spent a full month training my senses. I may not be able to see, but nevertheless, I am stronger than ever!" He said menacingly, "I am going to show you the same I was put through."

"What are you talking about?" He dared.

Mesmero smiled again and made a gesture to Rogue who was still unconscious. Gambit had almost forgotten she was here.

"Leave her out of this!" He yelled.

"Oh, but you see, I can't do that. Because as I'm sure you already know, mental and emotional pain can sometimes be worse than physical."

"You bastard! Let her go!" Gambit tried to brake free of the other Mesmero's grasp but the second he moved he felt a bolt of electricity swarmed though his body and shocked him. He fell to the floor in pain. His intense fiery eyes darted around the room for something to attack Mesmero with.

Nothing.

Gambit couldn't charge living matter and he didn't have anything within his reach. He looked around frantically as the real Mesmero approached Rogue. He pulled out a long knife and held it up against her face.

Gambit wouldn't let him hurt her. He took in a deep breath and summoned up all his strength. He pulled away from the other Mesmero as hard as he could. The electricity immediately surged though his body but Gambit wouldn't stop. He could feel his whole body begin to go numb but he just ignored it. Using all his strength he threw one of the Mesmero's into the wall behind him and jumped away from the other one. He wanted so badly to take a minute to recover from the shock but he didn't have a second to spare.

He lunged at Mesmero, knocking the knife out of his hands. Mesmero turned towards him and smiled.

"You'd do anything for her then, wouldn't you?"

Gambit's piercing red eyes were full of hatred. Where was he going with this?

"I'm not surprised. It's people like you that will stop at nothing to get what they want. I like you Gambit." Mesmero said wickedly.

"That's a shame. "Cause Ah hate you." He spat.

Mesmero pressed a button on the wall and a small door opened to the side of him. Inside were Gambit's trench coat and his staff along with his cards.

"Take it. It all belongs to you, right?"

Gambit didn't budge.

"I see. Gambit, I have a proposal for you that you find hard to turn down."

Gambit eyed him, "Sorreh, Ah don't buy gurl scout cookies."

With out a seconds warning, Mesmero slammed his fist into Gambit's stomage, right where he had gotten stabbed. Gambit stumbled back wards in pain. He looked down and saw blood dripping from his shirt.

'No,' He thought, 'It's reopened.'

Mesmero took a step towards him, "Like I was saying before. I have an offer that will not want to turn down my friend."

"Ah'm not your friend."

"But you will be." He said, walking back over towards Rogue.

Gambit looked up at him, "What do you want?"

Mesmero grinned, "Gambit, I've seen your power and I think you have great potential. Not only that but when angered or someone's life is on the line, you hold even more power. You could become unstoppable." He paused, "With some training."

Gambit starred at him, "What do you mean?"

Mesmero turned towards him, "I have injected a special serum into Rogue's blood stream." Mesmero began. He pulled something out of his cape. It was a small piece of rectangular metal with a small red button on the top of it, "If I press this button, Rogue will die immediately from the inside out."

"You bastard." He breathed.

"I'm not done yet Gambit. If you don't do exactly as I say, I will kill Rogue. You know I could go with me original plan and just kill her now for revenge. But I've deciding to be nice and give you an option."

Gambit shook his head slowly, 'He can't be doing this.' He thought.

"But here's the catch. You work for me: work for Apocalypse, and I spare Rogue's life. You will join the X-Men and kill them off, one by one. You will not tell any one what's going on and you will kill anyone who gets in your way. I will let Rogue go but you must not tell her."

Gambit just starred at him in disbelief.

"Or you can end this short, and just have Rogue die now. But if you chose to work for me, her life will be spared. Otherwise…" Mesmero tucked the button away in his cape, "…well, you know."

"You can't do this." He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Oh, but I am Gambit. I am." He begant o walk out of the room but stopped at the door way, "You have one hour to decide what you're going to do. Otherwise, I just kill Rogue and you will be left with the guilt." He smiled and the walls began to once again cover Rogue.

Mesmero walked out of the room leaving Gambit alone in the darkness with his fateful decision.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Bum bum... What will Gambit do now?! Will he save Rogue and kill the X-Men? Or will he spare the X-Men's lives and kill the one he loves?! Find out next time ooooooooooooooooooon... CORNEY TELEVISION BROADCASTS!! WoOT! (...) I promise never to do that again. Please review. X)