(Thirteen)

The next morning, Ororo Monroe, weather goddess and given the codename Storm because of it, leaned against the wall of the hallway, her eyes slightly closed against the light. This morning was the beginning of a brand new day, and a brand new team. She and the others on this brand new Blue squad had been informed of the roster change and now today was the first time this particular group of people would be training together in the Danger Room. They had all worked together off and on over the years so no one in this new squad was a stranger to anyone else. This shouldn't be too difficult.

But it might be interesting, she mused to herself. This was the first time Gambit had been permanently added to a squad since his return – and the first time he had been made to work by her side since then as well.

Storm could never forget when she had first met Remy. She had been working undercover as a jewel thief and stumbled across a real one quite by accident. From the first time they worked together they hit it off as friends. Remy's playful manner and cheerful commentary made everything so easy and enjoyable. He made even the grittiest job fun. Of course she was forced to reveal her true identity to him in the end and oddly enough, he just didn't care. He wasn't the one she was trying to bust so he turned around and helped her with her case, finishing her work early. He used that as an excuse to lure her off for a brief vacation, wining and dining her through the best restaurants in Boston, no so much to get into her pants - though he did try, the dear boy - but because he simply enjoyed her company. It had been tempting to her, to give into that charmer's slick smile and attentive offers, but she knew him to be little more than a child, at least ten years her junior and she hadn't dared. She declined his advances but not his friendship and coaxed him into joining the X-men with little trouble.

As much as their whirlwind friendship filled her heart with fond remembrances, learning that Gambit was the one responsible for all those Morlock's deaths had been truly devastating. She had instituted the Morlock outreach group to aid the stranded survivors shortly after Gambit had come to join the X-men but he had stayed silent about his role in the Massacre, keeping his secrets. That betrayal had been so hard, even though she knew deep inside he had done it not out of malice but because he hadn't wanted the hurt. He had needed her love too much to lose it, the orphan that he was, she knew that, but how could he have done to that her?

Even now Storm had to close her eyes against the sting of tears. She had avoided him after that and had even been so bitter as to decline searching for him in Antarctica, a betrayal of her own. Even after he returned, thin and drawn, from his exile, she had barely spoken ten words to him in the year or so that had followed. She wasn't sure what she might think when she saw him now.

"Stormy."

She blinked, standing a bit more upright and looking into the very face of the man she had been wondering about. As stealthy as ever, he had come up on her silently and without her noticing. She had been early for the session and so was he it seemed, they were alone in the hall.

"I told you not to call me that," she replied automatically, falling into their old game as if all those years and betrayals had never happened.

He just grinned that same old charmer's smile and was quiet as she looked him over. He seemed so much older now, the strain of being away and Rogue's little bombshell showing on him. He'd been gone just about two months but had aged a year, his eyes careworn and a little sad.

"So they put you back on a team," she said next, trying to fill the strange silence between them.

Remy nodded. "Chuck t'inks I need to be workin' wit real people again. 'Fraid I'm gonna revert back and start stealin' de silver."

"As if you haven't been," she teased, smiling for the first time.

He saw it and his own grin relaxed and became wider. He was positively feeding off her kindness, he had missed her so badly, had been even before he had been taken by the Dognan. His eyes were gleaming playfully and he was his old self as he replied, "Nah, Chuck only buys de cheap stuff just to fend me off, de petit connard."

She nodded, laughing softly and dared to touch his face. He had leaned a bit closer as if to drink up her welcome that much more deeply. She brushed his forehead, touching the scar there. "This is new."

"Oui. Got it from de slavers. Must be losin' m' touch."

"We'll train you back into shape," she promised, cupping his cheek. Now that he was so close to her, her long lost brother in arms, she couldn't hide the deep affection for him that had never withered and died. It had blossomed afresh at the sight of that smile.

He closed his eyes, happy for it. All was forgiven, he knew that now and oh, how he had needed it. If it was being kidnapped that had forced this change of heart in her, well, then all of that trouble had been worth it, each and every day. "Merci, chere."

The elevator from the Mansion suddenly chimed, announcing its arrival, and Remy stepped back before its passengers could see they had touched. While Storm may have forgiven him, he did not expect it from any of the others. He would keep their secret and share this confidence with no one.

The rest of the group arrived in a bunch – Cyclops, Wolverine, Iceman, Jean, Nightcrawler and Rogue. Remy was passive as his former girlfriend approached, his face smooth and unreadable. She could have been the doorman for all he showed.

Scott looked over his group, they all knew he was the official squad leader here. "You all know each other so I'll spare the usual meet and greet. This session will be fairly easy. Just enough for us all to get into a groove."

"What's the scenario?" Wolverine asked, all business as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. He was an early riser and itching to get to work and flex his muscles.

"Underground tunnels. Two taken hostage by an unknown number of hostiles. We find 'em and bring them back alive."

Logan grinned, ready for it. "Then let's get to it."

Cyclops punched in a preset code for the Danger Room and the large circular door opened, beckoning them in. They grouped and followed Scott inside.

(break)

Remy grumbled to himself, silently cursing that the Danger Room was just a little too perfect in its ability to represent real environments. The room was positively huge and loaded with enough Shi'ar technology that once the room was activated, one lost all sense of size and direction. If it produced a vista of a mountain to hike on, it was a mountain you felt, even if it took you miles to cross it. And here he was, trudging through tunnels that were damp and stank of death and decay, smells just a little too much like those Morlocks tunnels. The Morlocks had taken over disused subway tunnels and so these seemed the same – old brick walls, rusty pipes, the faint squeaking of rats barely seen crawling alongside the moldering walls.

Scott had done this on purpose, he knew it. Just to test his nerve. Just to see how long it took for poor little Gambit to break, the pathetic, murdering thief that he was. Well, he wouldn't give Cyclops or anyone else the satisfaction. He trudged along, his well worn boots splashing softly through inch deep, stinking water.

Storm was sloshing along behind him, not as silent but just as stoically moving along. It was a well known fact that she was claustrophobic, she would be enjoying this no more than he was. Maybe Scott was punishing them both. The squad leader had paired everybody off to better search the tunnels, so far they hadn't seen anything suspicious.

It wasn't to last. Storm gasped sharply as unseen hands seemed to come out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind. Remy whirled and his actions all automatic and blurred as he dealt with the threat with deadly force. Too late, he saw he had overreacted, the assailant, little more than a teenager, lay on the ground, his neck twisted and broken.

Storm steeped back, startled herself. She could have dealt with the assault on her own quite easily if Gambit had just given her a chance. She had barely grasped the intruder's hands and was already turning when the thief was upon her, defending her like a lion its lioness, the artificial bones of her attacker crackling in her ear like crushed nut shells.

"Gambit, are you insane? What's wrong with you?"

Remy was panting, his eyes a little wide. He had no idea why he had jumped so suddenly and so viciously. He could only guess that his nerves were still shot, his experiences on Cerise and the Lucky Dragon making him just a little too jumpy. It was standard operating fashion that even in sessions such as this they were not to use deadly force - in an odd twist of fate, the Danger Room was more often teaching mutants not to kill, to have the control to leave an attacker alive. He was back in juvie training class and failing badly.

Gambit looked down on his victim and felt his stomach clench when it shimmered and disappeared in typical Danger Room fashion. It was a hologram and had never been real. He was struck with a sudden flurry of thoughts – had this hologram felt its death on some level? Was it more like Kimble than anyone thought? Was it sentient on some deep level? Did they have the right to use it that way? To murder it so senselessly and without a thought? He swayed on his feet, a little dizzy now. He had been in this room for years now and not once had he thought this way before. It was deeply unsettling and not the least bit welcome. Kimble had changed him in ways he hadn't even conceived of.

Storm watched this without knowing the cause, saw as the color drained from his face. It was more than the kill, she had seen him screw up in here before and take it in stride. This was something else. She wondered if it had to do with his new mechanical friend, the shapeshifter from the dinner party. She knew better than to ask, Remy had always been cagey. It had been easier before the exile, when he had been troubled he had always come to her on his own. Perhaps he would again, now that the rift between them had healed.

"Illegal fatality," a mechanical voice chimed. "LeBeau, ten points."

There was a brief flash and a bit of smoke. "Nice going, swamp rat."

Remy turned to see Rogue a short distance ahead of him down the tunnel, she had teleported in via Nightcrawler, the source of the smoke. Whenever Kurt teleported, he left behind a small cloud of sulfurous smoke, stealth was not always an option. He and Rogue had been paired together for this session and it was she who had spoken. "Scott's gonna make us do extra drills, thanks to you."

"Don't be so hard, fraulein," Kurt admonished, his light German accent hardly echoing. He was up on the side of the tunnel wall, perched there like a benevolent spider. Not only could he walk the walls like a telekinetic, it was his gift to blend in with the dark shadows, he could only be half seen, his yellow eyes gleaming in the dim. "It's his first time vit a group in a while. You had a fatality two weeks ago yourself."

Remy wasn't listening, He didn't care. Rogue's voice was coming at him too painfully and he was shutting her out. He could feel her vibrations of cool anger and it jabbed at him. He was becoming increasingly aware that he hadn't walked away from Kimble's filesharing untainted, no matter how many times he denied it. It wasn't constant, but every now and again he would be silently smacked by someone's powerful emotions, especially hers. He had no shields, something he was going to have to remedy and soon.

Still, he put up a brave front. "Dis nobody's fault but mine, Kurt. If anyone 'as to do extra drills, Gambit will do it."

Rogue made a small noise of disgust, no doubt turned off by his words of martyrdom, and turned away, just in time for them to get jumped by more baddies melting out of the walls like vaporous demons. This was so like Scott, not allowing them a moment's peace or a chance to let down their guards. Their argument was forgotten and the four of them went into instant action, each tackling his own opponent with the fluid grace of years of practice. This was a session to only to regain familiarity with one another, all of the members of this new squad were considered senior staff and not novices in the field.

Gambit threw down his man, this time only stunned, and hardly had time to duck as Rogue tossed her charge straight at him, smashing her ersatz opponent right into the wall right beside him with brute force. If Remy hadn't known better — and he didn't – he might have said it was deliberate. He rushed her, he couldn't stop himself, not even hesitating when she met him head on. He snarled at her, his fists clenched and glowing faintly with power, "You best be real careful, chere. Boy Scout take off points fo' friendly fire aussi!"

"Kiss my ass!" she hissed at him in return, the words out of her mouth in a rush.

His first response was sly little smile. Yeah, she had hurt him moments ago with her anger, but the same sensitivity that allowed that also gave to him the knowledge that her fury now was nothing more than some strange kind of jealousy or regret. Rogue was feeling the weight of her mistake, the poor dear. She wanted him badly, it was so plain there in her eyes. It turned him on, he couldn't help it, and he was grateful that the darkness of the tunnel hid the lustful blush of his face and the gush of red heat that had shot south, hardening him uncomfortably. He loved her spirit, he always had, and regretted so few of their little spats. The loving afterwards had been so passionate and full of that same fire. He couldn't fully love a woman that didn't do that to him, he was such a sucker for it, he knew it.

"Heh, Gambit would do yo' ass more dan dat small service, fille. All you gotta do is ask," he purred at her, his whiskey and cinnamon voice husky in the dark.

"I'd sooner kiss the Thing!" she replied with rancor, knowing he had seen right through her.

"I can arrange that," Wolverine offered, his words leaking around the fight and breaking up the tension of the moment. Rogue turned to see Logan slouched against the wall behind her. Like Gambit he was stealthy even when wading through the low lying water, she hadn't heard his approach. "Benjy's a close friend of mine," he added with a wolfish grin.

His comment was true. The Thing was a member of the Fantastic Four. The Four, while not mutants, had a couple of oddities on their freedom fighting team. The Thing was more rock than man, hideously ugly but with a true heart. He and Logan had met more than once and not always peacefully, but Logan's words were honest, even if they were still a dig at Rogue.

Rogue's response was too ugly for words, a garbled hiss whose intent was obvious even if wasn't exactly audible.

"Now dat was too dirty, even fo' you, chere," Remy said to that, the hard edge coming back into his voice. He might have deserved her anger, but Wolverine hadn't. "You kiss Manny wit dat mout'?"

She didn't get a chance to reply, Cyclops came trudging up behind Wolverine, his face dark with anger. "What's going on? In case you hadn't noticed, we're supposed to be rescuing people! Snap to, people!"

"Aye, aye, captain," Rogue said curtly but not exactly disrespectfully. She had moved instantly giving him the response he had wanted. She and Kurt gathered and vanished in a soft cloud of smoke.

The others moved off, but Remy lagged, knowing Scott wasn't done. He was correct, Cyclops came up close. "Anytime you can't handle this, Remy, you let me know." It wasn't a peace offering, it was a challenge. Scott was daring Gambit to bail. Not that he wanted Remy gone, he couldn't have dissension in the team. Mistakes could be made and he wasn't going to take the risk.

" 'M cool, patron," Remy answered, not backing down an inch. Rogue may have walked off with his heart, but he was damned if she was going to get him booted off the squad. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction, not even if it was charged to him in blood.

"All right then. But that fatality will cost you, twenty laps on the track as soon as this session is done."

"D'accorde, patron. Gambit will do as he told."

Scott backed off, retreating the way he had come, leaving Remy alone with Storm who hadn't gone far. "You okay?" she dared to ask.

Remy nodded brusquely, not wanting to discuss it, and made his way off into the tunnel, his head down and low as his anger slowly burned. He would do his laps, he would pay his dues, but it would be hard. He wasn't in tip top shape, not after that down time on the Dragon, but so what. He had earned this spot and was determined to keep it, come hell or high water. That was a promise.

To be continued in Misbehavin'.