The Prince of Thieves

Chapter XXXIII: My Brother

By: Michelle

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DISCLAIMER: I don't own the X-men. I just write fanfics for fun.

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Ororo stared down at Juggernaut's body as the Crimson Cosmo Prison guards came to the rescue. Kind of late aren't they?

The guards aimed their tranquilizers at Juggernaut ready to take him down if Xavier's mind blast was not enough.

"Are you alright Professor Xavier?" One of the guards asked.

"I'm fine." Xavier replied as Ororo helped him to his wheelchair. "But my team isn't."

Wolverine bust through the fallen entertainment center and climbed free. He ground his teeth and fumed with his claws extended. He was ready to take down anything, but as he looked around he realized there was nothing left to do but tend to the injured.

Ororo knelt down next to Kurt. "Are you alright?"

Kurt smiled up at her as if he was seeing an angel. For that moment, he forgot about all the pain he was in. "As good as I'll ever be." He replied. "Are you alright Liebling?"

"I'm fine." Ororo answered and looked over where Remy lay. Then, she turned back to Kurt.

"Go to him."

"What?"

"I said go to him." Kurt ordered her. "I'm fine. It's just a pulled muscle. It's not as bad as it seems." He lied about his dislocated shoulder. "Now go to him."

"Kurt."

"Go."

Ororo nodded. She bent down and kissed his cheek. "I love you." She whispered in his ears. Then, she rushed to tend to Remy.

Meanwhile…

Rogue's body shook. She had never felt like this after absorbing anyone's life-force before. "Immiscible power…the ruby…"

"Rogue, it's alright." Bobby carefully held her.

"I hate Charles…my stepbrother…my father loved him better…"

"Rogue calm down." Bobby said trying to comfort her. "It's over."

"The ruby…crimson bands…AAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Bobby looked up to Xavier who managed to make his way over to them. "What's wrong with her?"

"She absorbed too much of Juggernaut for her mind to handle." Professor said as he placed a hand on her head. "Calm yourself Rogue." He said calmly and closed his eyes.

Rogue passed out in Bobby's arms as Xavier removed his hand.

"Rogue." Bobby held her. "Professor, what happened?"

"I relaxed her." He said. "She's going to be alright. She just needs to rest."

Across the room…

Wolverine eyed up the unconscious Juggernaut as the guards made sure he was properly sedated. It would be so easy for him to gut him right then and there. However, Xavier already was aware of his intentions and had mentally ordered him not to make and moves. He figured he'd better comply. There were already enough unconscious people around the room.

So instead, he checked out Juggernaut's armor that protected him. Around the center of the belt, he caught a glimpse of a glittering item. He extended his claws and pried the thing free. Much to his surprise, the armor around Juggernaut mysteriously disappeared. What the?

Then, Logan looked at the thing he pried from Juggernaut's belt. It was a ruby. Gambit stole a ruby for Magneto. Son of a bitch. That little bastard.

He turned to see Ororo examining her friend Gambit. He was unconscious and bleeding from the side of his head. Gambit had helped save their lives. He didn't have to, but he did. Now, he was paying the price for challenging Juggernaut. Damnit. I'm such a fool.

He got up and went over to Ororo. "Is he alright 'Ro?"

"I don't know." Ororo sniffled. "I don't know."

Logan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Everything is going to turn out alright." He said trying his best to comfort her. "I'm gonna check on Elf for you. It's gonna be alright. You'll see."

Ororo nodded and brushed Gambit's bangs out of his eyes. No. He wasn't Gambit. He was Remy LeBeau. Her best friend. Her brother. And, he was unconscious. The side of his head was caked with dry blood. A few bruises plagued hat handsome face of his. The only thing that told her he was still alive was the feeling of his pulse where she held his wrist.

On the other side of the room…

"How you holding up Elf?" Logan said stooping down next to his best friend.

"I've been better." Kurt replied. "Of course, I'd feel even better once my shoulder is put back in place."

"Oh I'm sure." Logan agreed.

Kurt took a deep breath. "You do know how to do that right."

"I've been thrown out the windshield of my truck, shot in the head, and had a television fall on me. I think I'd know how to place a bone back in place." Logan said sarcastically.

"I'll take your vord for it."

"Good." Logan replied. "Take a deep breath."

"Mutter von…" Kurt howled out and punched Logan in the face once the bone was put back in place. "Thanks."

"Any time Elf." Logan said feeling his jaw. "Any time."

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Hours later…

"Gambit is stable." Professor Xavier said to Ororo seeing the worry in her eyes. Storm was a strong woman, but he could see the sweet sensitive person inside of her. "I have to leave to make sure Cain is properly sustained. I will be back as soon as possible."

Ororo nodded. This was killing her. "Is there anything else I can do for him? I called his brother, but he hasn't returned my call yet. I just want to know if there is anything else I can do to make sure he is going to be alright."

"I'm sorry Ororo, but no." Xavier said. "Alls you can do is wait. If his brother knows how to treat him, then you can treat him. Until then, there is nothing else that can be done. It's Gambit's choice to return not ours."

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"Fuck Darlin' That actually hurts." Logan whined.

"Sorry Logan." Ororo apologized as she looked at another piece of the TV that came out of his back. This time it was a wire instead of glass. She quickly discarded the piece on a tray and went straight to cleaning the wound before it healed itself.

"Are you done?"

"No." Ororo looked at his back. "You have about three more pieces."

Logan grumbled under his breath and braced himself as Ororo went digging again.

"You look like you are having fun." Kurt said sarcastically. He was definitely glad he was able to walk away with a sling on his am rather than a TV in his back.

"Don't make me deck you Elf…Damnit 'Ro."

"I'm sorry Logan."

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah."

Kurt smirked. "Sorry about punching you earlier."

Logan shrugged. "It healed up alright."

"You're lucky."

"Ow! Damnit 'Ro."

"Sorry." Ororo replied. "That was the last piece." She said as she put the utensil down and pulled off her gloves. She didn't say anymore. She just walked off.

Logan looked over at Kurt. "I wasn't trying to upset her Elf."

"It's not that Logan." Kurt sighed and took a seat on the table next to him. "Gambit hasn't voken up yet. Because of his unique body makeup, Professor is afraid to give him the same treatments he vould normally give to us. Ororo called Gambit's brother to see if he knows any medications that are safe for him. His brother said he had to talk to his Tante Matte or someone. So far, his brother hasn't called back."

Logan growled under his breath. "That damn kid saved our lives and we are helpless to do anything for him."

"I know." Kurt hung his head. "I feel so guilty. Ve've treated him like shit since he arrived here."

"What a bunch of asses we are?"

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Rogue's eyes fluttered open. Her head was pounding. Where am I? She looked around the white room.

"Hey"

She heard the voice. I know who that is. "Bobby."

"Yeah, I'm here." Bobby replied and got closer to the bed.

Rogue sat up. "What happened?" My head is killing me. "Why am I in here?"

"You were screaming after you absorbed Juggernaut." Bobby explained. "Professor had to knock you out to get you to stop."

"Oh." Rogue replied. "Did we win?"

"Yeah." Bobby nodded. "Professor took out Juggernaut after we got his helmet off."

"Really." Rogue's spirits went up.

"Yeah, but not before he destroyed everything in sight. You should see the rec room."

"It's that bad."

"You have no idea."

"Is everybody alright?"

"Yeah. We all got our share of bumps and bruises though." Bobby turned to the other bed with made Rogue turn to look in the same direction. "But Gambit wasn't as lucky."

Rogue looked at Remy's unconscious form. He had bruises on his face and arms. Ororo used a cool wash cloth to clean up a large cut on his forehead. It was scary to see him there as pale as a ghost. Please let him be alright.

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Xavier wheeled into Crimson Cosmo Prison and sighed. Why must two brothers be enemies? He thought as the guards began hooking Cain up to become a prisoner of the tank once more.

Kurt Marko fell to the ground after saving young Cain and Charles from the fire that broke out.

"Dad. Dad."

"Charles." Kurt Marko looked up into his stepson's eyes. "Beware of…Cain. He will…hate you…for your power…"

"My power?" Charles questioned as his stepfather's eyes closed for the last time. He didn't quite understand yet.

"Professor Xavier/"

He snapped from his daze. "Yes."

"We are ready."

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Ororo rung out the wash cloth in the sink. It was driving her crazy not knowing something she could do to help her brother. She was fighting all her urges to cry, but she knew if allowed the tears to fall she wouldn't be able to stop. I've got to be strong. She reminded herself over and over. I've got to be strong.

"Ororo."

She turned to see Kurt with his arm in a sling and the phone in his other hand. "Hey." She said softly. "What's up?"

"Henri LeBeau is on the phone for you."

Henri. Henri. She was nearly speechless. Did he talk to Tante Matte? Does he have a cure? Please Goddess. Please. She took the phone in her hand and timidly answered. "This is Ororo."

"Stormy."

"Henri." Ororo said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Did you talk to Tante?"

"Oui," Henri replied on the other end. "Ya gots a pen…"

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Professor Xavier looked at Cain's unconscious form in the center of the tank. He hated doing this to him again. He nodded his head to signal that he was ready.

As the watched the tank filled, he couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if he and Cain actually saw each other as family. Would Cain and he share the mansion? Would Cain be apart of the X-men? He would never know the answers. Or would he?

When the tank was filled, Xavier wheeled over. He extended his hand and touched the glass. "I'm sorry Cain. Maybe some day…some day it won't have to be this way."

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Ororo did everything Henri's Tante Matte said. Using various herbs from her garden, she a made a concoction that made her stomach want to turn. No one knew Remy better than his Tante. Hopefully his Tante was right and she could fill the Voodoo woman's place in his time of need.

"That stuff stinks." Logan said wishing he didn't have a heightened sense of smell.

"Ja really." Kurt wanted to gag. "Do you think it vill vork?"

"I hope so." Ororo replied as she checked the medicine in the cup she was holding. "I followed the instructions to a T."

"Guess there is only one way to find out."

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"Oh my God." Rogue's mouth dropped as she looked at the destroyed foyer and rec room. You would have thought by the way everything was smashed and thrown that Storm dropped a tornado on the mansion. However, everybody knew that wasn't the case.

"Pretty bad huh?"

"Yeah." Rogue replied. "The destruction speaks for itself."

"Really." Bobby agreed. "But at least Professor already has people rebuilding." He said looking at the construction crew. "Which is good. You know how bad Jones has TV withdrawals."

Rogue nodded and something on the floor caught her eye. It was a J with a heart.

"Come on Rogue." Bobby pulled her. "Let's go. Piotr, Jubes, and Kitty are waiting for us outside. We are going to see how many full moons there are." He said hinting about the construction crew.

'I'll meet you there." Rogue shook her hand free still focusing on the floor. "I just want a few minutes alone."

"Ummm…OK." Bobby said and walked off.

Rogue waited until her was completely out of sight before he began to investigate. She knelt on the ground and moved debris out of the way and found the three playing cards from she and Remy's game. She picked them up and blew the dust and dirt off. Jack of hearts and 10 of Clubs. 20. That's Remy's hand. Queen of Hearts. That's my card, but where is the other one. I had it in my hand. Where did I put it. Then, the answer came to her.

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"Oohhmmm."

Ororo's eyes fluttered opened. She never meant to fall asleep by Remy's bedside, but she had worn herself out worrying about him.

"Oohhmmm."

Remy. She directed her eyes to him and got up to check on him. He's got some color to him. That's a good sign. She brushed his bangs out of his eyes with her fingers.

"Hmmm."

Did he just moan? "Remy. Remy baby can you hear me."

Remy's eyes squinted open. He recognized her sweet voice. "Stormy."

"Yeah, I'm here." Ororo caressed his cheek with her hand. Thank you Goddess.

"Where am I?" He asked. "What happened?"

"You are in the med lab." Ororo watched his face turn to a look of harbor. "And it's alright. Nothing bad is going to happen to you." She checked the machine levels. "And what happened was a long story."

"I be up ta hearing it."

Ororo smiled. "Maybe later, but for now you need to get some rest."

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Rogue dug frantically through her pockets to find the card. I know I had it. It has to be here somewhere. She tough to herself as she checked every pocket.

She stuck her hand in the last pocket and felt the singed card. Got it. She pulled it out and stared at it. She was speechless.

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Ororo ran her fingers through her hair. For once after this whole ordeal, she could relax. Remy was alright. He just needed to rest.

Kurt admired the way she looked. She seemed happy by the way she sighed. "How is he?" He asked.

Ororo smiled. "He's going to be fine."

"That's good." Kurt walked over and wrapped one arm around her. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Ororo asked not sure what he was getting at.

"Sorry for being such an ass." Kurt apologized. "I vas very judgmental about your friend the last couple of days. I should have trusted in your faith in him. I vas vrong and I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Ororo said and looked deeply in his eyes. "I know both you and Logan were just trying to protect me and the school. Thank you for putting up with me."

Kurt smiled. "Ich liebe diche." He said and he kissed her.

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Alright, that's the end of Chapter 33. The countdown continues: ONE chapter left. That's right. Only ONE chapter to go.

Cain and Charles flashback encounters were based on and quoted from X-men (1st series) #12, X-men Forever #4, and the X-men cartoon from the 1990s.

Thanks to simonluke26 for help with the writing process.

Thanks for all the reviews. See you all next chapter.

Michelle