Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I only made up the sequence. But the X-Men is owned by MARVEL.

Bayou Country, Louisiana, February 8th, 9:32 AM

The X-Men spend the night in the bayou. Now it was morning as the X-Men already awakened, came to the center of the Blackbird (X-Jet) to reference what they should expect. They had a rough night, hardly got enough sleep.

Ororo downloaded the topography information about the bayou's spillways and tunnel systems onto the three-dimensional map, later it projected the physical map of the bayou and its tunnels into a hologram for all to see. Storm was in control, but normally she was assisted by Dr. Jean Grey. Still, Storm can do the explanation by her own. She explains to the following X-Men, "I've recently achieved data that should help us during the investigation. The data was taken in January, three years before. A year later the data was terminated by the government."

Wolverine asked, "Then how were we able to have that kind of data?" Storm said, "Xavier and I use a technology in the War-Room to upload any mutant related document the government classifies as an impracticable." Wolverine mentioned to her, "Xavier and I, now why am I not involve with the whole Xavier and I thing?" Strom said, "We just don't find you as acknowledgeable."

Wolverine hesitates for what Storm said about him. He's just about the important member of the X-Men team but still being treated as a rookie. Storm said as the hologram changed a bit, "As we continue, we understand there is a spillway up southeasterly of the wetland area. The spillway should lead us to a larger, vicinity which possibly could be the Morlock Ruins where the Morlocks once settled." Cyclops asked Storm, "And what kind of analysis are we going to collect on this little fieldtrip?" Storm replied, "Just find whatever that seems unusual that can give us an explanation for what could have cause such an affair. Kurt, if you may can you get the appliances from the Supply Cabin?"

"Zure." Kurt replied sweetly. As a rookie, Kurt will do the simple work. Kurt went down the hall as the other three stayed in the central part of the Blackbird. Storm said, "We will be given approximately 10 minutes to get prepared." After her conclusive words Scott and Logan were waiting on a bench seat across the hall.

Wolverine asks Cyclops, "So, how are you doing?" Cyclops replied, "Never better." Wolverine said, "Not feeling down, right?" Cyclops said, "Not too much." Wolverine asked, "What do you mean?" Cyclops, "Oh come on. We all know that it is Jean. It has been different lately. Not just for me but for everyone else." Wolverine, "Take it easy, bub. Now I know you feel like you want to change the past but the past is renewing itself already. What I mean is, well, the world's big brain Xavier told me this. Sometimes the past can be real, it still can affect us later on in the future. But it can affect us in different ways. Cause, the past can be corrupted itself. This can do the same to us. So what I and Xavier want you to do and for all of us to do is to let the past as it meant to be. Just live life to the fullest, before I have to strangle you for making me comforting you." Cyclops doesn't laugh anymore but he was laughing in the inside.

Ever since Wolverine became part of the team, Cyclops starting to have some decent trust in the guy with the claws. Cyclops said, "Okay, maybe you and Xavier are accurate in someway. I should just let the past be the past and live as I normally do. But it's so hard you know." Wolverine said, "Hey don't say it's hard, just do it. That's my motto. I don't care if there are fifty men waiting to shred me into parts I can take them." Cyclops understood. Sometimes words don't mean much, but hopefully this meant something to Scott Summers.

Back at the Blackbird, in the Supply Cabin Kurt took out a box full of thingamajigs, but he heard a strange noise. He followed the noise which led to a young girl which he realized it was Rogue. Rogue, from his point of view, looked tired and hazy a bit. He could hardly believe why she would do this to herself. He said, "Rogue?" Rogue said, "Please, Kurt. Don't tell them. I just want to help out." Kurt said, "But you z'hould be at school." Rogue, "But I'm an adult now. I'm fully mature enough to be an X-Men." Kurt said back, "Juzt stay here'z, Rogue. You will be safer." Rogue nodded to get Kurt's trust. Kurt then turn back to get the supplies.

He came out acting like nothing has happen. Storm came over, Kurt handed her the supplies. She said, "Thanks a lot Kurt." Kurt nodded. Storm said to Kurt, "Oh, we might need you to come with us. Do you think you are up for it?" Kurt said, "Uhzz, Z'ure. I would'z." Storm said, "Something wrong?" Kurt replied, "Nein. No'zhing'z wrong." Storm walked up to Wolverine as Kurt followed along.

Storm said to Wolverine and Cyclops, "Here these are the equipment you need." Strom handed Logan and Scott two small flashlights, a camera, and even night-vision goggles. Storm said to them including Kurt, "Now be prepared for anything. We don't know what we may run into." The three X-Men understood. Storm walked southeastwardly as Night Crawler, Wolverine, and Cyclops pursued.

As they walk, Storm was using a small hand held tracking device to find the tunnels, as recorded from the secret documents. The fact that Storm was taking the lead was very awkward to Logan, as a scrapper he didn't want to be the follower as the white haired woman takes the role in being the leader. The environment was very alien to them, since they spent sometime of their life in the northeastern states.

They soon went walking through a swamp, getting the soles of their shoes wet and muddy. They found nothing at first. Ororo said, "The entrance should be around here."

Logan looked around across the mild weathered wet plains; he found an unusual looking large tree. He came forth to the tree and as he came in front of it he found a round shape tarnished doorway beneath it. Logan yelled out, "I think I found the entrance!" The three came over where Logan is standing. As they came, they saw the round shape doorway as well. To them looked much secured. But Logan saw it as a simple covering.

So Logan decided to open it himself, which he did. He noticed it was heavy but he managed to get it opened anyway. There was a ladder way in it as they presume they should climb down the ladder. Inside the tunnel was very dark so all four turn on their flashlights as given.

Back at the Blackbird, without following Kurt's order Rogue decided to come out of the Blackbird anyway. So as she did, she saw the great bayou country. The air was fresh and the sunlight was shining. She decided to walk around a bit, to get the haziness out of her system. But then she heard some unusual noises across the wet plains. She got a little suspicious so she walk further away from the Blackbird and walk even further into the swampland.

Back in the tunnels the four X-Men was looking around searching for their destination checkpoint where the Morlocks use to live in. Wolverine said, "God, I hate the dark." Cyclops replied, "Everyone does but you're the only one who's complaining about it." Kurt replied, "Zi z'on't like the dark'z too. Zo miz'terious." Storm said to them, "Be quiet. We aren't sure if anyone is still in here so we have to be very cautious." "I can sense pretty much anything and I'm pretty sure no one is in an underground magical kingdom of Cajun country." Logan said sarcastically.

Soon after, Logan saw some sort of light through a cylinder tunnel. He replied to the X-Men, "I see light." The X-Men saw it also. Wolverine said, "It's coming out from that tunnel way." The X-Men turned over to the tunnel with the light. As they went inside the tunnel, they saw a huge underground city. The light came from large domes on the ceiling which projected a form of light. It was bright enough to not use any of their flashlights.

Logan said, "Oh, God." Unusually they don't see any bodies from the massacre. Storm said, "Let's go."

Back at the bayou, Rogue was right now walking into open wet plains. The ground was muddy but the horizon was beautiful. She also saw a crane on a tree which was a pretty sight for Rogue. She also saw a tar papered shack in a distance surrounded by the mud surface. But then she heard some more noises that almost sound like a group of people coming in.

Suddenly without knowing it, she was grabbed by a tall man. The man told her, "Come on. Ye not safe here!" She said, "Let go of me! Help, someone! Ororo!" She was about to kick the man but the man wouldn't let here. The tall man took her into his shack. He made her to duck down. The man said, "Please gal, don't make any sounds." Rogue said, "Let me out! Who are you?" Suddenly the man hauled her down. The man said, "Do ye hear dat."

The noises outside were now louder. Rogue said very quietly, "What are they?" The man said, "Marauders. D'hey are assassins dat will kill anyone dat is in deir way. Dere's over fifty of them right now. Gambit, didn't wanted you to get hurt, dat's all." Rogue asks, "Gambit, who's Gambit?" The man said, "I apologize, Gambit is bein' me. Gambit, doesn't talk like as you say regular filles would." Rogue understood, but she feels very awkward whenever a guy speaks in the third-person.

Gambit said, "D'hey're gone. Gambit knows. What ye doing here in de bayou? Should ye be at school?" Rogue got a little aggravated when he said that since she's already a nineteen year old adult. Rogue said, "For your information I'm nineteen years old and right now I'm with four other adults on some mission." Gambit said, "Adults! Where are de adults?" Rogue said, "Oh don't worry. They are safe from those Marauders. There are right now underground in some tunnels." Gambit said, "Tunnels! De Morlock Tunnels!" Rogue said, "I guess so what's the problem?" Gambit said, "Sacre' bleu! Dat's where de Marauders are goin'." Rogue said, "Oh my god. We should go warn them!" Gambit said, "De men don't show any mercy. D'hey are well thought-out and lethal. You should stay here. Gambit will go." Rogue said, "I'll be fine." Gambit, "D'hey don't show mercy on young gals either."

Rogue said, "But I'm not sure you will be fine also." Gambit said, "Gambit will be fine. Gambit knows about them. Don't be startled, but Gambit's a mutant." Rogue said, "I'm a mutant also." Gambit asked, "Really?" Rogue replied, "Really." Gambit sighs but said, "Okay, Gambit will let you come. But ye hav' to stay beside me unless ye want to be stab behind de neck." Rogue and Gambit walked out of the shack together.

Back at the main Morlock tunnels the X-men came down from a stairway to get to the streets of the underground city. Scott (Cyclops) said, "This is incredible." Logan was still looking around with astonishment. The four X-Men were off the stairway and into the city. Storm was scanning the environment to a data analyzer she kept in her cloak. She found out through the X-Men toy that the ruins is half the size of New Orleans, no signs of life, and it was very remote from society. Storm was taking more data of the ruins, as Scott was taking flash photographs around the surroundings. Still skeptical, all they found was housing areas and one building resembling a holy temple.

Logan was still looking around and then he saw a metal something on the ground. He crouches down and he found a heart shape locket. The locket was already opened which inside the locket was a picture of a woman which looked like she was around in her mid twenties. There were in even words in the locket which reads, "Bella, who will always Prosper". Logan said nothing about it, but he did take the locket with him. Scott said, "In god's creation, what has happened here? It seems like someone taken all of the inhabitants." Logan alleged, "I'm going with visors. This place is nothing but stone and echoes." Storm replied, "I think we should turn back. The Professor should know about this." Logan said, "Now I'm not saying that. Besides I'm already fascinated." Storm replied, "Well, I suppose we could check the rest of the interior before we leave." Wolverine said, "It's in your command, miss. There's probably one more piece to the puzzle that I'm waiting to find out." Unsure about Logan's words, gave the feeling to the X-Men they should stay there for a couple of moments. Since, there could be something more that they missed that could have caused this mystery.

Back at the bayou, Rogue and Gambit were heading northward to the tunnels. Rogue said to Gambit, "But I saw them going southward. Why are we heading northward?" Gambit said, "Gambit, knows de shorter way to de tunnels. Come on! We don't have much time left." Rogue was now walking next to Gambit. She said, "Just asking but what kind of name is Gambit anyway?" Gambit replied, "Gambit haz many names. Ye can also call me Remy LeBeau. Now, even Gambit hazn't even got your name yet." Rogue said, "My name is… Rogue."

Gambit, "Rogue. Rogue is a name which Gambit would ask about. From around here, Rogue?" Rogue replied, "Well, I right now live in upstate New York in some private school but I use to live in Mississippi." Gambit said, "Well dat is quite near to de great state of Louisiana. Gambit, one time drove me motorcycle up there. Nothing personal but crawfish up dere is how ye say medium standard. It needs extre season to make me trailer home born w'aised pappy say "oui"." Rogue chuckled, Gambit replied, "For real, Gambit doez not have a pappy. Been w'asied by many people." Rogue asked, "If I may ask, Remy. How do you manage to live in the swamp?" Gambit replied, "Well I use to live in de city of New Orleans but quite recently I moved back here."

Rogue asked softly, "Why?" Gambit said, "Hard to explain. Ye guess Gambit wanted to hide away from de past. Nothing can't change it now." Rogue decided to say no more to Gambit since they are in a drastic situation and she have a feeling that Gambit could be a troubled man since he's trying to hide from the "past".

Gambit asked Rogue, "So who are these adults, we are going to save?". Rogue replied, "They are a team, uh squadron, called the X-Men which they are also mutants. Some of them are school teachers that teach young mutants in private school which I go to. They are trying protect us from world." Gambit said, "So they teach ah school filled with mutant kiddies. There's nothing be afraid of de world. This world was made for us." Rogue said, "I guess maybe what I meant was the people since we are both afraid of each other. Ever since I came to the school wanted to be part of them but I think they are trying to hold me back. I don't want to feel this fear and anger on the regular humans. I'm nineteen I should having greater responsibility."

Gambit replied, "Regular humans? When since d'hey became regular? Aren't we regular, aye? Maybe de X-Men knows dat ye could be too much responsibility even for you. Gambit thinks dat the X-Men, how ever you call its, just trying to do de best for ye. I'm sure de care about you deeply but ye got to be strong if you want dat responsibility. If you do what d'hey want ye to do I'm sure you will be part of de squad. Don't mean to sound like de racial basis, but dese are probably de best advice you can get from a Cajun."

Rogue smiled back to him and said to him, "I guess you have point. Maybe I'm just a little impatient I just want more action in my life." Gambit replied to her, "Let Gambit tells ya something. But ye are already having a turducken size of action for ye being in the dangerous parts of the bayou."

As they walk further into the wetlands Gambit pointed out and said, "Do ye see dat rock with de moss." Rogue replied, "Yeah I do see that." Gambit said, "Well, you're goin' to see something really cool."

Gambit put more of the Cajun accent when he said that which gave Rogue the feeling that something's big is about to happen.

Gambit took some steps towards the rock. He was face to face with the rock. He crouches down to find a metal apex, almost like a key. He then took out a long wooden staff from his back, almost like a ninja from a kung fu movie. He was holding the metal apex on his left hand and his staff on his right. He then installed the metal piece to the tip of his staff and then he turned over to the swamp.

He walked right in the center of the damp, watery swamp. And then with two hands he pressed down the metal apex connected to his staff right into the water. It seemed like he was trying to unlock a door or something.

In just a couple of seconds the water was being drained as if someone unclogged the plug. The swamp was just nothing but a muddy landscape now. Gambit looked right back at Rogue at a distant then said, "Come down here, Rogue. Do worr'ay, you won't zink' in."

Rogue was astonished with the occurrence that Gambit just performed. Rogue did as Gambit wanted her to do, walk right on the filthy surface. Rogue is now beginning to regret when she snuck into the jet. The last thing she wanted was to get more mud on her shoes and pants.

When Rogue was shoulder to shoulder to the Cajun, Gambit pointed out to her that there was a hidden underground stairway leading to the tunnels. The stairway was hidden beneath the swamp, which meant to be an exit incase of emergencies. Gambit led the way, so Rogue followed Gambit entering into the belowground level stairway. Rogue got the feeling the stairs will be wet and slippery so she kept a good momentum and easy pace.

Gambit was ahead of her and he reveled that the tunnels are tremendous and advance for being built by swamp-being mutants. Rogue got down the stairs.

On the sidewall in the wide spaced tunnel there was an unlit torch which Gambit took out. As he was holding the torch on his left hand he took out a lighter on his right hand. He lit the torch with his lighter and in the same time he took out a pack of cigarettes.

Placing a cigarette in his mouth and using the lit torch, he lit up the cancer stick. Rogue notice that he was smoking, and said, "You smoke?" Gambit replied back, "Done it since I was twelve." Rogue said, "Is there a chance that the Marauders will go through this entrance we're going through now?" Gambit replied, "Na, de Marauders don know a zinc about de tunnel ways. D'ey go through wa ever is in dere path. And de main entry is a couple of yards pass from dis entry. Gambit's guess is dat your friends went through the main entry a well."

As they made a turn towards a wider, gloomy tunnel Rogue asks with a serious look, "Now how come you know all of this? Did you ever work with them or something?" Gambit paused for a moment but said, "You have to know dat Gambit will never lie to you. Especially to a pretty looking gal'. Gambit never meant to work with horrible people. Gambit is just lost in life. I'm not trying sound dramatic or anything but what's there in life for me."

Rogue realized that the "crazy" third person talking Cajun has some similarities with her own. She ran away from her parents when she discovered that she was a mutant and she had a depressing past also. She just didn't know what was going on with Gambit. Gambit is a mutant though, so that could be troubling him.

Rogue replied to Gambit, "There's always a calling for everyone." Gambit replied, "I just wish Gambit could see dat, Rogue." After Gambit said his sad reply, they both kept moving upward and made a couple of turns on their way to save the X-Men.

They came to a stop where they saw an unusual light coming out of an opened doorway. Gambit turn towards Rogue. Gambit took out a leather book from his coat handed it to Rogue. Rogue asked him, "What's this." Gambit said, "It's… A journal. Don't ask why but Gambit want ye to take, but do not open it. It's very how you say, sacred. Stay here." Rogue, with some suspicion about the book, asked, "Will be okay, Remy?" Gambit with a smirk said, "Gambit will be better dan okay. Gambit will be up for it. No matter what."

Gambit strides to the opening leading to the Morlock ruins. There was no stairway leading down to the ruins. So Gambit made a dive through the air falling about twenty feet. But when he landed. He didn't tear a tendon he did what he must do.