Gambit took a drag from his cigarette, his hair messy from the wind. He
looked up to the sky, watching the clouds roll by against the soft hue of
dawn. Another autumn day where it would rain again. He sighed, the smoke
curling out of his mouth. Rogue never liked him smoking, so why did he
continue? He dropped the stub to the floor. It sizzled as it was went out
in the water puddle. He marched away, the end of his trench-coat lifting in
the breeze.
He'd laughed about it yesterday, but know, it worried him. Rogue had been played with by her emotions, and psyche Remy, who was in her head. He couldn't trust his psyche, he must have helped her blow up the Sentinel. Remy knew Rogue had him under the form of a psyche in her head. The Southern girl had explained a number of times what psyches were, and he could just see himself now letting her use his powers, for personal vengeance, or just out of boredom. Probably not out of boredom, who could get tired of being in Rogue's body 24 hours a day? He chuckled at the thought. No, there were more important things. Blowing up a Sentinel was like shooting a red flare saying: "I'm right here and functional!". Sinister would come and get her again. It'd already been quite hard to just get her out of the base, and again, Sinister might have just let her do so purposely.
And the scar... What had he done? Seeing her body mutilated that way made Gambit want to kill that crazy scientist... But he couldn't, he was securely trapped in the web by his own will. In some sick way, Gambit still needed Sinister, and the scientist had made sure it stayed that way. A trap, a deadly one at that. He needed to brake free.
Gambit shuffled his cards. If life was compared to a pack of cards, the cheating, the bluffing, the losing, the winning, it would always come down to luck. Remy knew about luck, he found himself rather lucky in fact. There was this problem though; it always left you when you most needed it. One good example of unluckiness was when he'd got his stupid powers and hadn't been able to control them. He'd turned everything he'd touched into exploding snap... Back to cards again...
Remy had a couple of obsessions in his pocket: cards, his way with women and others. However, his newest obsession was Rogue.
Gambit stopped shuffling, falling on the Queen of Hearts. Her serene face, her golden hair, her perfect manner, nothing like Rogue in fact, but it still reminded him of her. He put her back in the deck, shuffling again. He picked out another card, the Queen of Spades, now this was maybe more like her, dark, unexpected, the feared card in the pack. And still it wasn't quite that... He took another card out: Queen of Diamonds... Yes, she had a hard exterior, but nothing like the haughtiness that the woman on the card was showing.
Gambit stopped shuffling, his ears noticing something. Someone familiar was approaching.
"Remy be waiting fo' ya, Betsy," he said without turning around to make sure who it was.
A woman, with purple hair walked out from the shadows. Her face was stern, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Keep formal, Gambit. Sinister has a job for you." Her British accent cut threw the air like a knife. "You've been messing things up enough, you're going to pay for it now."
Gambit still didn't look up at her, he was busy looking threw his cards. Where was the Queen of Clubs?
"Are you even listening?" she asked furiously.
"Gambit's listening, go on." Seven of hearts, jack of diamonds, three of hearts...
"Rogue's going to be framed for the lab's destruction, all you need to do is bring her out in the open and let the Sentinels take care of her. They already want her for the fight she put up yesterday..."
Remy did look up at this. Did Sinister really think that the Sentinels would stop Rogue? She was with the X-men now; they'd keep her safe. Psylocke's Asian features were hard, the red tattoo over her left-hand side eye made her face seem severe. She was a Queen of Spades, more likely.
"Sinister is aware of what you are up to, snuggling with the skunk..."
Remy laughed at this, a clear laugh, not like the warm one he'd charred with Rogue, this one was mocking and rather cold. Yes, Gambit was under Sinister's orders, but when it came to Rogue, he was quite ready to 'fuck up' his life for her, and even this woman's life with his. They were good as dead anyway. Rogue had something he needed, and no way was he going to abandon her.
"Psylocke, Remy's sorry."
The woman stepped back; the fire in Remy's eyes was menacing, demoniac. His grin could have been the devil's own. Now she knew why Sinister didn't want to let this mutant go. She could see it there, in his red pupils, coursing with energy. She hadn't noticed it before, but now...
***
"Rogue, I'm so glad you've returned..."
Professor Xavier sat at his desk, welcoming Rogue. However, she wasn't quite listening.
Quick, packing things up, pushing them in the far corner of her mind, in the dark places of her head. He mustn't know. He mustn't. The small bits with Remy and what he'd made her remember were quickly hidden in imaginary files, put in a fictive safe. Rogue would have been out of breath if she'd had to do all this physically. However, she had a certain control on her mind, like a telepath, putting it into pictures, making walls spring out from her imagination to hide from the professor... Quick, he mustn't know. A last draw to close, a last door to lock...
Rogue came out of her work, now ready to focus on the exterior. The professor could now look in her mind if he liked; everything was put in order. Remy would be quite, he'd promise her.
"...been quite busy. Ororo and I have visited a school, just like ours, where the Headmistress, Emma Frost helps her students to control their abilities. Now, talking about control, I've heard that you've managed to succeed into controlling your psyches."
Xavier smiled warmly at Rogue, a question asked in his blue eyes. His face was wrinkled by age, his skin covered with more or less deep crevasses. It reminded Rogue of Gambit's face, when she'd found him in the bank, it seemed so long ago. What would she look like herself when she came to the age of sixty, seventy years old? Would she still be alive?
"Yeah, got the trick. Just managed t' shut them up a little," Rogue told him with a feigned sincerity.
He nodded. "Good, good. Please tell me how you managed." It wasn't a question but a request, like if he had the utmost right to know. He did in a way, he'd worked with Rogue hours and hours to try and help her. She should tell him. Would he recognise a lie?
"Ah... Ah talked with them, and made them disappear."
The professor gave Rogue a strange look, as if he was weighting the truth of her words.
"Yes, yes. Emma told me about this way, but I wasn't convinced."
What was he talking about?
"You worried us greatly, leaving like that. I'm happy that it came out for the best," Xavier said, wheeling out from his desk. "I've heard you've done some physical prowess with the Sentinel yesterday."
Rogue just nodded; perplex that he was taking everything in so easily, much too easily. It made Rogue suspicious.
"Then you might want to join the team again?" he asked with another soft smile as he came up next to Rogue in his wheel-chair. "I had ordered a new uniform for you, Rogue, just before you departed."
"A neaw uniform?" Rogue asked rather curiously.
"Yes, still in it's packet, right there on the dressing table," he told her pointing at the end of the room. There, on a Victorian dresser was a large metallic box with the address of the Institute showing on one of it's sides.
Rogue got up to fetch it. To her surprise, it was very light and she had no difficulty lifting and taking it back to the bench where she'd been siting. It was like a Christmas present, given one month too early. Rogue kept a neutral face, but inside she was rather exited to know what it would look like.
It wasn't quite what she was expecting, Rogue wearing black usually. It was green and yellow [think comic book] in synthetic material. Inside was also a belt. She lifted it up, a knife dangled in a sheaf at it's end with a small pouch.
"With the newest technology, of course," Xavier added. "Nothing is made of metal."
Rogue looked up at him; he had a knowing smile. Of course, nothing was made of metal in case she had to fight Magneto. Logan wasn't very well equipped by those standards, having knifes implanted in his body directly. Rogue looked closer at the blade and discovered that Xavier was right, it wasn't made of metal, it was light like a feather... Rogue then looked into the pouch and found a pair of glasses with dark lenses.
"With an emitter and phone integrated, very useful."
Rogue whistled in admiration. "Must hav' cost a fortune!" she exclaimed.
"The Institute has special funds, Rogue. Don't worry about the cost. It's my affair," he told her. "And I believe you will find something more in the box."
Rogue scooped the packet up from the floor where she'd let it fall. In the bottom were a pair of gloves in a plastic bag. She opened it and took them out, trying them on. They were black and the end of her finger tips were purposely bare, a neat hole made for her to be able to absorb who she touched.
"Thanks," Rogue mumbled. Not sure how to act after have been given all the expensive equipment.
"Not at all, Rogue," the Professor said, wheeling backwards lightly. "There is still two details I would like to go over with you." He put his hands in his lap, watching Rogue with a sincere face.
"Did you absorb Gambit whole for you to use his powers? Magneto hasn't complained about any dead acolytes..."
Rogue couldn't lie on this one, Remy was healthy, still running about, and coming to visit her... No, if she thought to much about it, Xavier would know. "Nah, jus' lightly."
"I see..." he seemed to be in deep thought. "Does this mean that if you touch someone, you get his powers and can use them as much as you like?"
Rogue didn't know how to answer this. "Ah, Ah think he lets meh use them." She cringed, the professor would guess straight away.
"He? I thought you had made your psyches disappear."
"They left, but Gambit doesn't want t' go." What kind of lousy excuse was she inventing? Why did she want to hide from him? Xavier had been very kind to let Rogue stay at the Institute, given all the necessary things... Trained, fed...
"Does... does he bother you?" he asked worriedly. What the professor was really asking was: "Do you want me to take him out?"
"No." It was a simple answer, truthful. Rogue didn't want him out.
Xavier nodded slowly to himself. As if Rogue wasn't there anymore, he wheeled away, going back to his desk. He picked some papers up and put them away in his draw. Taking his pen, he started to write on a new peace of paper.
"You can leave, Rogue. It was nice seeing you again." He gave her a smile before going back to his papers.
Rogue got up to leave, but she then remembered Xavier's words. "What's the other thang ya wanted to talk about?"
"I can't remember," he said thoughtfully. "Dear or dear," he chuckled his soft blue eyes twinkling. "I'm growing into an old man!"
Rogue didn't say anything at this. She left, taking the metallic box after have stuffed everything back in it. It was always strange around the professor, and she didn't like it one bit. This was no exception.
Shortly after, Logan came in quietly, walking up to the desk, his forehead creased with suspicion.
"So, What did the Kid have to say, Chuck?" he asked.
Xavier looked up, shuffling his papers together, giving Logan his full attention. "She doesn't want to tell me," he simply said.
"Did you prod?" Logan didn't like it, but he wanted to know.
"I tried to catch some superficial thoughts."
Logan repeated the sentence in his head, trying to find some hidden meaning to the words. Chuck could be so cryptic sometimes. "Ya didn't get anything." Xavier nodded slightly. "And..." Logan tried to get the professor to tell more.
"Ororo was impatient to see you again. I believe she's in the garden, trying to save her dear plants."
Logan growled. Translation: "I prefer not telling you more. Ororo is in the garden."
"As ya wish, Bub. But I'll find out anyway!" Logan yelled storming out of the office.
***
Remy sat in the couch, shuffling his cards again while St John laughed at the gag the TV had just shown.
"Have t' see this, mate!" he yelled, trembling with laughter. "He's covered in cake."
Remy would usually watch the program with Pyro, but he had heavier things on his mind. Remy wasn't the quiet one usually, it was more Peter's style, the Russian Acolyte, who was sitting at the other end of the couch, reading a book.
The comical voices of the TV characters were starting to give Remy a headache. He would pick out a card, charge it, ready to blow the television up... then take the kinetic energy he'd put in the peace of slim cardboard back out. Blowing things up wouldn't help him.
Remy was getting edgy, like an old man. He shuddered, it reminded him about his last encounter with Sinister's pet mutant, Death, quite unpleasant. How had the scientist managed to get such a powerful mutant under his control was a mystery.
"Cheer up, mate!" Pyro exclaimed. "Ya look like ya going t' ya funeral!"
Gambit chuckled. "Nah, not yet." St John had no idea what he was talking about, but he was close enough to the truth.
The TV was displaying a Bimbo walking a small yappy dog. The small animal was barking at his mistress, frightening her. Gambit wondered how he watched such things. However, the scene was cut, replaced by a News Presenter, looking very formal.
"The Sentinels, police squad for mutants, arrested a woman, causing trouble in the New York China Town earlier today. People were manifesting in the streets, worried about yesterday's event with the mutant who destroyed a Sentinel. Friends of Humanity directed manifestations in the streets...."
Pictures of an unconscious mutant, with purple hair appeared. She was shackled and transported into a large van by men in black uniforms, their heads hidden behind helmets.
A portrait of the woman was shown: she had piercing blue eyes, and a red tattoo down her left-hand side forehead and eye.
"Pretty hot Sheila!"
"Do you thi'nk Magneto wil' want uss too go and rrescue herr?" Peter had looked up from his book.
Remy looked at the screen with suspicion. He'd thought he'd got read of her, less than three hours ago! How had she done it? He'd destroyed her!
"Four civilians were killed, ten wounded by her attack. We have street cameras taping the scene before the Sentinels arrived..."
The X-men would bail her out, or go rescue her. Psylocke would surely get a death penalty from the Judge, guilty or not, if she was brought to court. It was how things now went. The X-men, they would talk to her, the Asian woman would tell everything. And still... She might just keep her mouth shut, who knows, it might lead to Sinister... And putting Sinister in the guilty suspects' list wasn't healthy. However, he was sure he'd got rid of her. Psylocke had lost, had run out of luck. Gambit had won. Won what? A Southern Belle. Rogue had the key to his freedom, and no way was he going to lose her.
However, the tables were turned, the rules changed. Sinister was playing with him again, testing Gambit's will to the extreme. Who had he exactly met earlier? Who had he strangled to Death?
Then Rogue's portrait appeared on the screen, it wasn't exactly her face, but it described it well. "This mutant had already appeared some months ago, and revealed herself as very dangerous the previous day [...] has become the 15th most wanted criminal in New York..."
"Hey, don't I know her?"
Remy's fingers brushed the Queen of Clubs; he'd found the fourth Queen after all. He observed the card for a moment and finally decided that this didn't look like Rogue. She was more like the fifth Queen of the deck. His Queen.
"Remy's too lucky fo' his own good sometime'," Gambit though to himself. However, luck always has a downfall, and Remy knew that it wasn't going to last long with Sinister in the game.
***
Tada!!!! Chapter uploaded!!!! About 2820 words. Liked the bit with Gambit? He's good, he's evil, all yours to decide.
Loved the Reviews! As usual!!!!
Weeble Wobble Chic: Don't die! Here it is! 14th chapter! Have a feast!
Winter fire: an obsessed, rather evil Remy is portrayed here. But you'll see his good side soon! The one rogue's just gotta love!
Unknown Source: yep, Rogue was under Psylocke's form when she remembered. Do you see the plot coming? Rogue having to tell what she really done to save Psylocke, or just going to save her on her own... Which will she use? But Psylocke isn't so innocent anyway...
Snitter in Rivendell: sorry, cut of the sweet moments for some evil twisted scenes!
Hologram X: one down for Remy on the good side, but he'll catch up, got plenty of chapters to come up for him to do so!
Cassie-bear01: kicking ass? Yeah! She will!!!!!
Ishandahalf: Authorities? What are they going to do, They're usually rather corrupt. And rogue, wanted criminal? Pretty tough!
Lupine Draconis: new reader? Yeah!
Rogue Warrior Spirit: discovered why Rogue can touch Gambit (hint, blinded, put a little note...)? 'Authorities' are going to want to know how you can blind mutant's powers for their own reasons, and probably in more painful ways... (it's not going to be just a 'blindfold', but to compare, let's say, as painful as tearing eyes out. Ouch! Mutants aren't going to like that one bit)
Well, I'm off to bed, got school tomorrow, completely tired out!! Make a girl happy and REVIEW! Will ya? *puppy eyes!
He'd laughed about it yesterday, but know, it worried him. Rogue had been played with by her emotions, and psyche Remy, who was in her head. He couldn't trust his psyche, he must have helped her blow up the Sentinel. Remy knew Rogue had him under the form of a psyche in her head. The Southern girl had explained a number of times what psyches were, and he could just see himself now letting her use his powers, for personal vengeance, or just out of boredom. Probably not out of boredom, who could get tired of being in Rogue's body 24 hours a day? He chuckled at the thought. No, there were more important things. Blowing up a Sentinel was like shooting a red flare saying: "I'm right here and functional!". Sinister would come and get her again. It'd already been quite hard to just get her out of the base, and again, Sinister might have just let her do so purposely.
And the scar... What had he done? Seeing her body mutilated that way made Gambit want to kill that crazy scientist... But he couldn't, he was securely trapped in the web by his own will. In some sick way, Gambit still needed Sinister, and the scientist had made sure it stayed that way. A trap, a deadly one at that. He needed to brake free.
Gambit shuffled his cards. If life was compared to a pack of cards, the cheating, the bluffing, the losing, the winning, it would always come down to luck. Remy knew about luck, he found himself rather lucky in fact. There was this problem though; it always left you when you most needed it. One good example of unluckiness was when he'd got his stupid powers and hadn't been able to control them. He'd turned everything he'd touched into exploding snap... Back to cards again...
Remy had a couple of obsessions in his pocket: cards, his way with women and others. However, his newest obsession was Rogue.
Gambit stopped shuffling, falling on the Queen of Hearts. Her serene face, her golden hair, her perfect manner, nothing like Rogue in fact, but it still reminded him of her. He put her back in the deck, shuffling again. He picked out another card, the Queen of Spades, now this was maybe more like her, dark, unexpected, the feared card in the pack. And still it wasn't quite that... He took another card out: Queen of Diamonds... Yes, she had a hard exterior, but nothing like the haughtiness that the woman on the card was showing.
Gambit stopped shuffling, his ears noticing something. Someone familiar was approaching.
"Remy be waiting fo' ya, Betsy," he said without turning around to make sure who it was.
A woman, with purple hair walked out from the shadows. Her face was stern, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Keep formal, Gambit. Sinister has a job for you." Her British accent cut threw the air like a knife. "You've been messing things up enough, you're going to pay for it now."
Gambit still didn't look up at her, he was busy looking threw his cards. Where was the Queen of Clubs?
"Are you even listening?" she asked furiously.
"Gambit's listening, go on." Seven of hearts, jack of diamonds, three of hearts...
"Rogue's going to be framed for the lab's destruction, all you need to do is bring her out in the open and let the Sentinels take care of her. They already want her for the fight she put up yesterday..."
Remy did look up at this. Did Sinister really think that the Sentinels would stop Rogue? She was with the X-men now; they'd keep her safe. Psylocke's Asian features were hard, the red tattoo over her left-hand side eye made her face seem severe. She was a Queen of Spades, more likely.
"Sinister is aware of what you are up to, snuggling with the skunk..."
Remy laughed at this, a clear laugh, not like the warm one he'd charred with Rogue, this one was mocking and rather cold. Yes, Gambit was under Sinister's orders, but when it came to Rogue, he was quite ready to 'fuck up' his life for her, and even this woman's life with his. They were good as dead anyway. Rogue had something he needed, and no way was he going to abandon her.
"Psylocke, Remy's sorry."
The woman stepped back; the fire in Remy's eyes was menacing, demoniac. His grin could have been the devil's own. Now she knew why Sinister didn't want to let this mutant go. She could see it there, in his red pupils, coursing with energy. She hadn't noticed it before, but now...
***
"Rogue, I'm so glad you've returned..."
Professor Xavier sat at his desk, welcoming Rogue. However, she wasn't quite listening.
Quick, packing things up, pushing them in the far corner of her mind, in the dark places of her head. He mustn't know. He mustn't. The small bits with Remy and what he'd made her remember were quickly hidden in imaginary files, put in a fictive safe. Rogue would have been out of breath if she'd had to do all this physically. However, she had a certain control on her mind, like a telepath, putting it into pictures, making walls spring out from her imagination to hide from the professor... Quick, he mustn't know. A last draw to close, a last door to lock...
Rogue came out of her work, now ready to focus on the exterior. The professor could now look in her mind if he liked; everything was put in order. Remy would be quite, he'd promise her.
"...been quite busy. Ororo and I have visited a school, just like ours, where the Headmistress, Emma Frost helps her students to control their abilities. Now, talking about control, I've heard that you've managed to succeed into controlling your psyches."
Xavier smiled warmly at Rogue, a question asked in his blue eyes. His face was wrinkled by age, his skin covered with more or less deep crevasses. It reminded Rogue of Gambit's face, when she'd found him in the bank, it seemed so long ago. What would she look like herself when she came to the age of sixty, seventy years old? Would she still be alive?
"Yeah, got the trick. Just managed t' shut them up a little," Rogue told him with a feigned sincerity.
He nodded. "Good, good. Please tell me how you managed." It wasn't a question but a request, like if he had the utmost right to know. He did in a way, he'd worked with Rogue hours and hours to try and help her. She should tell him. Would he recognise a lie?
"Ah... Ah talked with them, and made them disappear."
The professor gave Rogue a strange look, as if he was weighting the truth of her words.
"Yes, yes. Emma told me about this way, but I wasn't convinced."
What was he talking about?
"You worried us greatly, leaving like that. I'm happy that it came out for the best," Xavier said, wheeling out from his desk. "I've heard you've done some physical prowess with the Sentinel yesterday."
Rogue just nodded; perplex that he was taking everything in so easily, much too easily. It made Rogue suspicious.
"Then you might want to join the team again?" he asked with another soft smile as he came up next to Rogue in his wheel-chair. "I had ordered a new uniform for you, Rogue, just before you departed."
"A neaw uniform?" Rogue asked rather curiously.
"Yes, still in it's packet, right there on the dressing table," he told her pointing at the end of the room. There, on a Victorian dresser was a large metallic box with the address of the Institute showing on one of it's sides.
Rogue got up to fetch it. To her surprise, it was very light and she had no difficulty lifting and taking it back to the bench where she'd been siting. It was like a Christmas present, given one month too early. Rogue kept a neutral face, but inside she was rather exited to know what it would look like.
It wasn't quite what she was expecting, Rogue wearing black usually. It was green and yellow [think comic book] in synthetic material. Inside was also a belt. She lifted it up, a knife dangled in a sheaf at it's end with a small pouch.
"With the newest technology, of course," Xavier added. "Nothing is made of metal."
Rogue looked up at him; he had a knowing smile. Of course, nothing was made of metal in case she had to fight Magneto. Logan wasn't very well equipped by those standards, having knifes implanted in his body directly. Rogue looked closer at the blade and discovered that Xavier was right, it wasn't made of metal, it was light like a feather... Rogue then looked into the pouch and found a pair of glasses with dark lenses.
"With an emitter and phone integrated, very useful."
Rogue whistled in admiration. "Must hav' cost a fortune!" she exclaimed.
"The Institute has special funds, Rogue. Don't worry about the cost. It's my affair," he told her. "And I believe you will find something more in the box."
Rogue scooped the packet up from the floor where she'd let it fall. In the bottom were a pair of gloves in a plastic bag. She opened it and took them out, trying them on. They were black and the end of her finger tips were purposely bare, a neat hole made for her to be able to absorb who she touched.
"Thanks," Rogue mumbled. Not sure how to act after have been given all the expensive equipment.
"Not at all, Rogue," the Professor said, wheeling backwards lightly. "There is still two details I would like to go over with you." He put his hands in his lap, watching Rogue with a sincere face.
"Did you absorb Gambit whole for you to use his powers? Magneto hasn't complained about any dead acolytes..."
Rogue couldn't lie on this one, Remy was healthy, still running about, and coming to visit her... No, if she thought to much about it, Xavier would know. "Nah, jus' lightly."
"I see..." he seemed to be in deep thought. "Does this mean that if you touch someone, you get his powers and can use them as much as you like?"
Rogue didn't know how to answer this. "Ah, Ah think he lets meh use them." She cringed, the professor would guess straight away.
"He? I thought you had made your psyches disappear."
"They left, but Gambit doesn't want t' go." What kind of lousy excuse was she inventing? Why did she want to hide from him? Xavier had been very kind to let Rogue stay at the Institute, given all the necessary things... Trained, fed...
"Does... does he bother you?" he asked worriedly. What the professor was really asking was: "Do you want me to take him out?"
"No." It was a simple answer, truthful. Rogue didn't want him out.
Xavier nodded slowly to himself. As if Rogue wasn't there anymore, he wheeled away, going back to his desk. He picked some papers up and put them away in his draw. Taking his pen, he started to write on a new peace of paper.
"You can leave, Rogue. It was nice seeing you again." He gave her a smile before going back to his papers.
Rogue got up to leave, but she then remembered Xavier's words. "What's the other thang ya wanted to talk about?"
"I can't remember," he said thoughtfully. "Dear or dear," he chuckled his soft blue eyes twinkling. "I'm growing into an old man!"
Rogue didn't say anything at this. She left, taking the metallic box after have stuffed everything back in it. It was always strange around the professor, and she didn't like it one bit. This was no exception.
Shortly after, Logan came in quietly, walking up to the desk, his forehead creased with suspicion.
"So, What did the Kid have to say, Chuck?" he asked.
Xavier looked up, shuffling his papers together, giving Logan his full attention. "She doesn't want to tell me," he simply said.
"Did you prod?" Logan didn't like it, but he wanted to know.
"I tried to catch some superficial thoughts."
Logan repeated the sentence in his head, trying to find some hidden meaning to the words. Chuck could be so cryptic sometimes. "Ya didn't get anything." Xavier nodded slightly. "And..." Logan tried to get the professor to tell more.
"Ororo was impatient to see you again. I believe she's in the garden, trying to save her dear plants."
Logan growled. Translation: "I prefer not telling you more. Ororo is in the garden."
"As ya wish, Bub. But I'll find out anyway!" Logan yelled storming out of the office.
***
Remy sat in the couch, shuffling his cards again while St John laughed at the gag the TV had just shown.
"Have t' see this, mate!" he yelled, trembling with laughter. "He's covered in cake."
Remy would usually watch the program with Pyro, but he had heavier things on his mind. Remy wasn't the quiet one usually, it was more Peter's style, the Russian Acolyte, who was sitting at the other end of the couch, reading a book.
The comical voices of the TV characters were starting to give Remy a headache. He would pick out a card, charge it, ready to blow the television up... then take the kinetic energy he'd put in the peace of slim cardboard back out. Blowing things up wouldn't help him.
Remy was getting edgy, like an old man. He shuddered, it reminded him about his last encounter with Sinister's pet mutant, Death, quite unpleasant. How had the scientist managed to get such a powerful mutant under his control was a mystery.
"Cheer up, mate!" Pyro exclaimed. "Ya look like ya going t' ya funeral!"
Gambit chuckled. "Nah, not yet." St John had no idea what he was talking about, but he was close enough to the truth.
The TV was displaying a Bimbo walking a small yappy dog. The small animal was barking at his mistress, frightening her. Gambit wondered how he watched such things. However, the scene was cut, replaced by a News Presenter, looking very formal.
"The Sentinels, police squad for mutants, arrested a woman, causing trouble in the New York China Town earlier today. People were manifesting in the streets, worried about yesterday's event with the mutant who destroyed a Sentinel. Friends of Humanity directed manifestations in the streets...."
Pictures of an unconscious mutant, with purple hair appeared. She was shackled and transported into a large van by men in black uniforms, their heads hidden behind helmets.
A portrait of the woman was shown: she had piercing blue eyes, and a red tattoo down her left-hand side forehead and eye.
"Pretty hot Sheila!"
"Do you thi'nk Magneto wil' want uss too go and rrescue herr?" Peter had looked up from his book.
Remy looked at the screen with suspicion. He'd thought he'd got read of her, less than three hours ago! How had she done it? He'd destroyed her!
"Four civilians were killed, ten wounded by her attack. We have street cameras taping the scene before the Sentinels arrived..."
The X-men would bail her out, or go rescue her. Psylocke would surely get a death penalty from the Judge, guilty or not, if she was brought to court. It was how things now went. The X-men, they would talk to her, the Asian woman would tell everything. And still... She might just keep her mouth shut, who knows, it might lead to Sinister... And putting Sinister in the guilty suspects' list wasn't healthy. However, he was sure he'd got rid of her. Psylocke had lost, had run out of luck. Gambit had won. Won what? A Southern Belle. Rogue had the key to his freedom, and no way was he going to lose her.
However, the tables were turned, the rules changed. Sinister was playing with him again, testing Gambit's will to the extreme. Who had he exactly met earlier? Who had he strangled to Death?
Then Rogue's portrait appeared on the screen, it wasn't exactly her face, but it described it well. "This mutant had already appeared some months ago, and revealed herself as very dangerous the previous day [...] has become the 15th most wanted criminal in New York..."
"Hey, don't I know her?"
Remy's fingers brushed the Queen of Clubs; he'd found the fourth Queen after all. He observed the card for a moment and finally decided that this didn't look like Rogue. She was more like the fifth Queen of the deck. His Queen.
"Remy's too lucky fo' his own good sometime'," Gambit though to himself. However, luck always has a downfall, and Remy knew that it wasn't going to last long with Sinister in the game.
***
Tada!!!! Chapter uploaded!!!! About 2820 words. Liked the bit with Gambit? He's good, he's evil, all yours to decide.
Loved the Reviews! As usual!!!!
Weeble Wobble Chic: Don't die! Here it is! 14th chapter! Have a feast!
Winter fire: an obsessed, rather evil Remy is portrayed here. But you'll see his good side soon! The one rogue's just gotta love!
Unknown Source: yep, Rogue was under Psylocke's form when she remembered. Do you see the plot coming? Rogue having to tell what she really done to save Psylocke, or just going to save her on her own... Which will she use? But Psylocke isn't so innocent anyway...
Snitter in Rivendell: sorry, cut of the sweet moments for some evil twisted scenes!
Hologram X: one down for Remy on the good side, but he'll catch up, got plenty of chapters to come up for him to do so!
Cassie-bear01: kicking ass? Yeah! She will!!!!!
Ishandahalf: Authorities? What are they going to do, They're usually rather corrupt. And rogue, wanted criminal? Pretty tough!
Lupine Draconis: new reader? Yeah!
Rogue Warrior Spirit: discovered why Rogue can touch Gambit (hint, blinded, put a little note...)? 'Authorities' are going to want to know how you can blind mutant's powers for their own reasons, and probably in more painful ways... (it's not going to be just a 'blindfold', but to compare, let's say, as painful as tearing eyes out. Ouch! Mutants aren't going to like that one bit)
Well, I'm off to bed, got school tomorrow, completely tired out!! Make a girl happy and REVIEW! Will ya? *puppy eyes!