Disclaimer: I do not own the Xmen….. I would be so freaking rich.. Do I look rich to you?!

Chapter 3: The Mutant Factor

Everyone's attention was focused on Spike. Breathing in deeply he turned his gaze to Rogue. Nodding at him assuringly, he then turned his attention to Logan and Remy. Both of them stared at him with hard on expressions. Once more clearing his throat , he began.

" I know I said that all questions would be answered today.."

Logan snorted impatiently.

" Yeah ya did… now get along with it?"

Spike ignored Logan's outburst and seemed to be focused on the window curtains.

" What we're about to tell ya could put y' lives in danger."

Remy frowned at Spike. Rogue gently squeezed his hand trying to stop him from saying anything. He turned to face her and what he saw almost made his heart break. Her eyes were glimmering with unshed tears and they gazed up at him pleading silently. Leaning into her ear, he spoke softly into her ear.

" Pas de problem, chere, Remy won't say nut'in."

Smiling weakly, she glanced back up at Spike. He simply nodded at her sternly and attempted to continue.

" As y' may have already guessed, Rogue, Aspen and I are different den y' average mutants.."

It took almost every inch of Remy's willpower not to come back with a sarcastic remark but the look he would most likely receive from Rogue wasn't worth it. Remy slowly turned his head to glance past Rogue. On the opposite side of her was Logan. He was glaring at Spike with such an intensity that one might have thought he had grown horns. Logan must've noticed his stare because he glared at him and unsheathed his claws. Giving him the bird with his middle claw.

" Like what ya see, Gumbo?"

Remy grin spread wider across his face as Logan growled in an annoyed tone.

" Non Wolvie, Remy don' flow dat way, Merci anyways."

Logan growled ominously and returned his attention back to Spike. Spike had completely ignored the little interaction with Logan and Remy and tried to carry on.

" Rogue, Aspen, and I are apart of a secret organization called the T.M.A."

Both Logan and Remy stared at Spike puzzled expressions.

" T.M. A. ?"

Rogue laughed despite herself.

" Nobody really knows what it stands for…"

Spike smiled at her and nodded.

" Oui, some say it stands for Teenage Mutant Assassins."

Aspen frowned at him.

" Spike, that sounds like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

Spike grinned back at him.

" Well, if y' put it dat way."

Rogue laughed at them both.

" Ah could've sworn that it meant Thieves Mercenaries and Assassins."

Aspen looked at Rogue and continued to frown but Spike indicated his agreement. Remy merely gazed at them all with bewildered expressions.

" What does dis organization do?"

Rogue smiled at Remy and answered.

" Just like the name states… We're either thieves, mercenaries, or assassins."

Remy nodded at her but beckoned her to continue. Aspen looked up and continued where Rogue left off.

" We were all specially trained in different fields… Females were more adapt in all three

Fields of Larceny, Mercenary tactics, and Assassination techniques. "

Remy nodded in agreement. Mainly because he knew that because of their small figures and flexibility made females more proficient than males. Rogue grinned at Remy and picked up the rest of the conversation.

" Mah dear brother and Ah just happen to succeed in the Mercenary field while Aspen

is an Level 3 Assassin."

Aspen's frowned deepened as he glared at Rogue.

" You make it seem like that me being a Level 3 assassin is bad."

Rogue stared back at him and spoke vehemently.

" Ah never said that being a Level 3 assassin is bad.."

" You sure sounded like you did…"

" No Ah didn't."

" Yes you did."

" No Ah didn't."

" Yes you did."

" Did not!"

" Did too!"

" Did Not!

" Did TOO!"

Rogue was about to yell back but an idea came to her.

" Now, Now, Aspen we don't have all day ta explain this so.. Let's stop this childish bickering and resume the story like civilized beings."

Aspen snarled at her and was about to retort but she cut him off sharply.

" As Ah was saying before I was rudely interrupted… Spike and Ah are Mercenaries."

Both Remy and Logan nodded in comprehension. Spike smiled and slipped into the conversation. He slowly turned to face Remy LeBeau and gazed at him seriously.

" Now Mr. LeBeau…"

" Non, Call me Remy…. Mr. LeBeau be mon pere's name."

Spike nodded slightly and continued.

" Remy, Ah've done a background check on y' family and found somet'in interesting 'bout y'.

Remy shifted nervously before responding.

" Oui.."

Spike remained undaunted by Remy's obvious uneasiness.

" It seems dat in New Orleans, y' be de son of the leader of the T'ieves Guild."

Rogue snapped her head up and gazed over at Remy. Logan notably sniffed the air around him and snickered. Rogue let go of his hand and stood up. She turned around and gave him a fixed stare.

" So Remy's father is the infamous JeanLuc LeBeau?"

" Oui." answered Spike.

Remy remained sitting on the chair.

" How does de chere and her frere know Remy's family?" (* hey that rhymed;))

Spike turned his attention back to Remy.

" When mah sister contacted me and y' said dat y' were coming as well, Ah had to run a background check to make sure if it was safe."

" How did you run de check?"

" I ran y' name t'rough de computer files dat I own."

Rogue spoke up before Spike could finish.

" Plus we keep watch over ya guild."

Remy eyes flashed at her.

" What do y' mean?"

Rogue's eyes darted downwards as she explained.

" You see.. The T.M.A. control all associations and guilds throughout all the countries of

the world. Haven't y' ever wondered why the Thieves Guild and the Assassins Guild

Remain only in New Orleans?"

Remy shrugged at her in response.

" Well if ya think ya'll are having trouble now.. Imagine how much issues ya would have combined

with the Dark Raiders of New York or The Death Eaters of Chicago? The T.M. A wanted t o keep everyone under control so they split us all into different portions of the

world. Back when Spike and Ah we're in New Orleans, we used ta have ta run a safeguard

On each guild to ensure their peace. Both Spike, Aspen, and Ah are direct descendents

Of the creators of the T. M. A., so we technically own both of the guilds of New Orleans.

Remy nodded taking all the information in.

" But Chere, if y' supposed to be keepin de peace den why we have guild wars now?"

Both Rogue and Aspen sighed deeply.

" Listen Rems, we may have direct ownership over the guilds but we aren't assigned to watch over them. Y'all should have some kind of Benefactor keeping an eye on the Guilds."

Spike nodded at her.

" Oui dere is, Her name is Candra."

Rogue scowled.

" Ya mean that blond bitch with the breast implants?"

" Yup."

Rogue frowned and stomped her foot.

" How could they leave the sanctity of the guilds in the hands of that blond BITCH?!"

Remy placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it tightly.

" De chienne, she be makin' both of de guilds pay tithes to her."

Spike shook his head shamefully while Aspen sunk deeper into his seat.

" That woman really knows how to abuse her power."

Spike grunted in agreement. Rogue turned to face Remy, her eyes glimmered furiously with white hot rage.

" Tell me Remy, what does she give the guilds in return for paying these tithes?"

" Well, for de T'ieves guild she be givin' us an elixir of immortality and for de Assassins

Guild she be givin' dem special powers."

Rogue pressed her lips together firmly and closed her eyes to concentrate. After a few minutes she snapped them back open.

" Lemme guess, and both of the guilds are fighting over the elixir of life."

Remy stared at her puzzled.

" Oui, chere, how did y'… "

Then Remy looked at Spike and held back from smacking his forehead.

" never mind."

Rogue turned to face Aspen and Spike.

" Why would they fight over the elixir of life?"

Spike shook his head.

" Je ne sais pas, mah sister, especially if they already know the side effects."

Rogue nodded her head in agreement to him.

" And Candra was stupid enough to give it ta them. Ah can't believe she would give

Them something so dangerous. The powers is one thing but the elixir of life ain't all

That its cracked up to be."

Aspen furrowed his eyebrows while nodding. (* yeah, these people like to nod)

" And we should know, we had to drink it."

Remy whipped his head around and grabbed Rogue by the shoulders. His fire-red eyes boar down straight into her emerald green ones.

" Chere, tell me y' didn't drink dat vile stuff?"

Rogue sighed and turned her gaze away from his.

" We all had ta… It was our duty as T.M.A. agents."

" Non..Non…"

Remy had let go of Rogue's shoulders and sunk back into the chair. He held his head as he tried to keep the tears from falling down his face. He couldn't believe it. The one time in his life he had met somebody who made his heart skip every time she was near…. Now she was condemned forever because of the damned elixir. He saw the effects they had on his brother in law Julien. It had driven him crazy and sent him on blood sprees in order to find a way to make up for his thirst for the elixir. Now he was going to have to watch the love of his life suffer through the same effects.

Rogue knelt down next to him and took her gloved hand into his. Her eyes shimmered and gazed upon his figure.

" Remy, we was given it as children… so we only had the side effects as children."

" But , Chere…"

Remy's throat began to tighten and he couldn't speak any longer. Rogue looked upon him sympathetically.

" Remy do not worry 'bout me… Ya see, the elixir gave us the opposite effect of what it

Should've.

Remy pulled his head up to stare into her gorgeous eyes.

" What, you're getting older?"

Rogue laughed weakly but continued.

" No Remy…. We still have the immortality effect with a slight bonus. See… As ya noticed

Spike and Ah are twins so we are already pretty close. But the elixir has connected us even

Deeper than just blood relation. The elixir has "imprinted" a special gene in our DNA. The

Gene is kinda like a fail safe. If one of us is killed, the other will go into a rage. Much like the

People who drink the elixir of life and gain a yearning for it. We become uncontrollable from then on out we will kill anyone and anything that gets in the way of our revenge upon the

Murderer. This happens because the gene attacks the adrenaline gland and splices the

Mutant portion of our DNA. The adrenaline rush runs through our veins causing for us to

Overload and technically speaking "blow up". The elixir of life doesn't really makes immortal

Except the fact that we can't die natural deaths like old age and/or natural disease. We

Can't get sick because we're are immune ta practically everything. The only way we can die

Is if we were physically killed by someone else and even that is a task in itself. So we don't

Suffer from the same effects as regular mutants and humans. This gene makes us

The most valuable T.M.A. agents.

Logan shifted in his seat and quickly absorbed all the information she was giving. He had already known about the gene but it was still too startling.

Aspen then stood and directed to Spike that it was time to leave to New Zealand to meet up with Aurora. Spike announced it aloud and everyone followed. Rogue began to think to herself.

Wow, all this and we still haven't found the other Xmen yet…

Hello people!! Love the Reviews BABY YAH!! Need ever so much more!!! Please tell me if this chapter makes sense because I could always explain it to ya in detail later on. It was just hard for me to explain it…. Not much Romyness but ooohh… there will be.. Oh the Romyness that will ensue in the Next Chapter. Oh Yeah Forewarning: there will be a huge amount of sadness as the story progresess sooooo…. Enjoy! Oh yeah and REVIEW! Thank y'all!!

~ RoguesHeart~