(Four)
The X-men entered the Smithfield Bank, quiet as you please, filing one after another. Fallen had given them all cloaking devices like they had used back on Cerise, making this almost too easy. They were subtle, none of the humans inside even knew they were there. They had gleaned the details of today's intended robbery from the surveillance tapes of Cameron's team and set up two teams of their own. One was inside the bank, the rest waited at Cameron's safe house - the X-men figured the safe house was probably the re-grouping point if this fell apart and Kyle's team got away.
The team inside the bank consisted of Logan, Jean, Scott, Rogue, Remy and Kurt. Warren, Storm, and Iceman and the two new recruits were posted outside the safehouse. Fury and the SHIELD guys were set up just down the street from the bank in case things went bad, but they too had some extra people at the safehouse as well.
The idea was for the X-men to interrupt the robbery and talk Kyle down, hopefully with no casualties. It certainly seemed from the recordings as though Kyle was ready to crack. In the process, they would try and get Kimble to come back with them as well. That would be Remy's job and he was sure if he could get Kimble's attention, he could get the pilot to leave Kyle and go back with them. He refused to believe he could fail.
Once inside the bank, the X-men spread out, taking positions all over and securing the exits, hoping to be ready. They could see each other with the cloaks on the same frequency and used sign language to communicate, having Molly around had paid off in more than one way.
It didn't take long for Kyle and the gang to show up. They teleported in, right on time, and took over the bank lobby in less than a minute, guns blazing. There were five of them - Kyle, Leon, 'Shay Michael and Franklin, the teleporter. They spread out quickly, grabbing some of the bank customers as hostages. Kyle and Leon covered the tellers and the security guards, hauling them into the vault and tying them up. 'Shay was put in charge of the rest of the hostages who happened to be a couple of poor unfortunate civilians that had come in to cash their checks that day. 'Shay fired her guns, letting everyone know she wasn't fooling around and then forced her charges to one side near a desk. She worked fast, using duct tape she had brought along to tie their hands and cover their mouths. Michael took off into the vault with Franklin.
The X-men remained cloaked throughout, watching it happen without interfering, at least not just yet. The security cameras were on and they wanted as much of the robbery to be documented as possible to make sure SHIELD had the best case to use against Kyle and the gang once they were arrested. They would wait until it was almost over and then take them down.
Once settled, Lakotashay took up a position in the far corner, guarding her hostages. This was Remy's cue to move and he wasted no time, silently making his way closer to her. He was unable to stop the pounding of his heart when he saw Kimble. Remy knew it wasn't his precious Lover at the helm, but the sight of that familiar face not seen in so long made him shake and want to just reach out. It had been months since they had last seen each other and the sight of Kimble's face smelled like victory. Gambit was going to steal Kimble right out from Kyle's nose, he could do this if he was careful and didn't blow this by being too hasty.
'Shay was sitting on a desk now, her guns held loosely in her lap, indifferent. Again she was wearing a Freedom's Kings uniform and was loaded for bear, she had several replacement clips for her large caliber guns on her belt. Her hair was loose and she had once more tied her bangs back into braids. It made her seem smaller and more feminine, almost pretty, but it didn't hide her melancholy. Her eyes were terribly sad and tired, fixed on the floor and not on the goings on of her teammates. It seemed as though she just didn't care what they were doing or where they were.
The hostages lay bound and gagged at 'Shay's feet. Her hands twitched on the guns and a look of pain crossed her face. She was trying to decide what to do – she knew she could end all this, end her pain, if only she was brave enough. All she had to do was blow away her hostages. Her teammates might let her get away with it, but certainly not the authorities which she knew were waiting just outside. It would be so easy.
Lakotashay raised one of the guns and pointed it at one of the hostages at her feet. The hostage she had chosen was a woman and the girl whimpered in fright, trying to wiggle away even though she was bound. 'Shay didn't seem to notice the woman's terror. This person meant nothing to her, she was just a means to an end.
"You don' need to be doin' dat, mon chere," Gambit whispered from right behind her. He clicked off the cloak and played his first card. He knew Kimble was an empath and so he used it, he stood there and let fly with his feelings, not restraining them one bit. He thought about how good it was to see Kimble and how he had been missed. He thought about how nothing would please him more than a few beers and a go at the jukebox, how there could be no greater thing than Kimble's company in that.
'Shay's head whipped around at the sound of Remy's voice, but instead of a hostile, defensive response to his sudden appearance, she froze in surprise as time seemed to stand still for a moment. There they were, simply looking at one another. She had forgotten how handsome he was and the soft lilt of his voice. But more than that, she had been unprepared for the vibrations of his love and desire to help her, vibrations that matched the colors swirling though his shine. Gambit knew she could read it and would be forced to respond and she did. She wasn't alone. The pilot's body instantly began to shake and Kimble stirred from within.
Remy could sense it and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Bonjour, fils. How about we 'ave a little chat, eh?"
'Shay wasn't the only one to notice they weren't alone. Kyle saw Remy there and shouted, alerting the others. They turned from what they were doing and raised their guns at the newest threat, turning to the intruder. Kyle stood in the middle of the room with Leon on one side and 'Shay on the other. Franklin was still in the vault with Michael, gathering the money.
Wolverine cursed softly and the rest of the X-men clicked off their devices as well. He hadn't wanted to act this soon but understood why Gambit had made his move. 'Shay's gun moved away from the hostage and slowly raised to meet Remy's face. Her hands were still trembling though she fought for some control. The thief made no move to fight her, he simply smiled at her and cocked his head playfully.
"Been a long time, mon ami. How 'bout we take a walk, neh? Go grab a Coke?" Remy asked her casually as if they weren't in the middle of robbery surrounded by government agents and cops. "We got a lot to talk about, you an' me."
'Shay opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. She was mesmerized by his eyes and the love that poured from him, but more than that, his shine was so strong, so beautiful. Funny how she had never taken the time to notice it before. It was shimmering expectantly, calling to her like an old friend...like Father. She met his eyes and he smiled again, puzzled by her hesitation. He had seen her look of enchantment and wondered what it meant.
Time was moving much more quickly for everyone else. The X-men spread out into defensive positions and covered all the exits and tried to block out as many of the hostages as they could.
Logan looked at Kimble sitting there in awe of Remy's sudden appearance and felt a surge of guilt. It had been weeks since they last saw each other, but Logan would never forget that last meeting. He thought Kimble looked silly with his stupid black uniform and ridiculous guns, but what he had disliked most of all was his new stillness. It was as if all the life had been drained right out of him. 'Shay was moving like a drugged out zombie.
"Oops? Are we interruptin'?" Rogue asked Kyle playfully, jumping up to float in the air in a deliberate show of power. She was doing her best to shut out a sharp blast of jealousy that rocked her, Kimble was looking at Remy like a long lost lover.
"Well, if it isn't Logan Razor Hands and his murdering sideshow thief. Kill any Morlocks lately, Cajun?" Kyle replied just as frostily, raising his gun to Logan's eye level. "You almost done back there!" he shouted over his shoulder to Michael who was filling bags of money from the vault.
"Five minutes!" came the reply. Franklin and Michael were bagging money as fast as they could.
"You ain't goin' nowheres, Kyle. Specially not with our boy, there," Logan challenged arrogantly. He wasn't the least bit upset over Kyle's greeting, words meant nothing to him.
"I beg to differ."
Leon snickered. "You still wanna go home, Lakotashay?"
She looked at Remy with her sad, dead eyes and slowly shook her head. She was confused, but still certain of where she belonged. How could she return after the terrible things she had done?
Remy wasn't about to let her off his hook so easily. "C'mon, chere. You don' wanna be doin' none of dis crap. Give me de guns, s'il vous plait, and we'll walk right outta 'ere," he said, keeping his voice light and jovial. It was hard work, his face was the mirror image of calm, but his heart was pounding. He wasn't going to walk out of here without the prize, not while it was sitting right here in front of him.
"It's too late fer that," Lakotashay whispered with greater assurance. The trembling in her hands had ceased and the guns remained pointed at Remy's face.
"What did ya do to him, Kyle? He's all fucked up!" Wolverine shouted, shocked by what he saw. Lakotashay's deathlike stillness was even more creepy in real life.
"I didn't have to do anything," Kyle said contemptuously. "You made it abundantly clear he wasn't good enough for your little team. You didn't want him in your home so we gave him another."
"Kimble, yer brother is out. Come on home," Logan said, changing tack. If they could get Kimble back on their side, this would be all the easier.
"Kimble is dead," Lakotashay said dispassionately, her eyes cold and lifeless. "He ain't gots no brother cuz he don' exist no more."
Remy cocked his head at the change in Kimble's voice. It was so high and yet empty of all emotion. The Quitter. She would prove to be his greatest adversary. Gambit didn't give up, but spoke to Kimble in Siskan. " 'E ain't dead to me, little brother."
"Why didja kill them Morlocks anyhow?" Zander asked abruptly, startling everyone, including 'Shay. He had used English so everyone could understand. This was a test.
"What's that gots ta do with anathin'?" Lakotashay snapped.
Remy couldn't help but startle at the sudden switch of voices. He hadn't seen Kimble since the disastrous melting and one bizarre discussion with Anya couldn't prepare him for the real thing right up close. Sure he had seen Hollywood examples of split personalities, the head shaking and dramatic pauses all in between. This was nothing like that. This was one body with three people in it, each one with their own distinctive voice, and apparently they all wanted to talk at once, one right over the other. It was beyond creepy and only another vivid example of how Kimble wasn't even close to being human.
"I just wants ta know, is all," Zander replied to the Quitter, cocking his head at Remy in a perfect imitation of the same move the thief had made earlier. It was a challenge.
Zander had been reminded of Gambit's little crime by Kyle's comments and was curious. He could care less about being in the middle of a robbery, he hadn't even wanted to be here in the first place. He wasn't too happy with the way things were going lately, especially how Lakotashay was so willing to up and kill people without a care. It was a little scary, even for him. Now the X-men were here and Zander had an opportunity he didn't want to waste. He now had some options about his future, about Kimble's future. Maybe they could leave the Freedom Kings and return to the X-men. Zander might not be able to take full control, but he could surely influence the other two personalities. He had the ability to cause an upset, a revolution as it were. The thing is, before he made his move, he wanted to be sure about a few things first. The Punisher wanted to see what Remy would say. He wanted to know if Kyle was right about Remy lying to them. Gambit was the foundation of Kimble's ability to hang with the X-men, he needed the thief as a true ally. No deception could be tolerated, it would be no better than where they were now.
Remy blinked, a little taken by the question. Worse than that, he was startled by Zander's deep gravelly voice. Zander hadn't been personally identified in this conversation, but there was no mistaking the defensive anger. This was the Punisher. "You come back wit us, Gambit tell you any'ting you wanna know, dat's a promise."
"No, you tells us now. Kyle there sez you been lyin' ta Kimble and I think the poor sap believes him. What do ya know 'bout that?" Zander continued to challenge.
"Dis ain't de time, Zandy. Cop's'll be comin'. SHIELD be jus' outside."
"He ain't gonna tell us cuz he's a liar, just like Father was," Lakotashay said with a smug little smile. "See, Kimble? I toldja we ain't gots no real friends, no real anathin'. You just lay back in yer chains, 'Shay's gonna take care of evrathin', just you see. No more pain, no more lies. Just the sweet black of death." She lowered one of her guns back down to the hostage.
Gambit was silently sweating and praying none of it showed on his face, freaked out by what was happening with his friend. Kimble was broken in every sense of the word and Remy was way out of his league, he had no clue how to fix this. He was a con man, a master player of people, and he was at a complete loss of what to do.
"Don't forget your promise to the Master, 'Shay," Leon snapped before Kyle would speak. He knew Kyle would just say something lame and screw this up. "No suicide. You will obey!"
"What is you really wanna know, Zandy, huh?" Gambit challenged, his voice shaking as he tried to control his hurt. He didn't like what was happening to Kimble, but he was clever enough to know he had to keep the conversation going. He had to force the Quitter and the Punisher to give him something he could use to bring this back around in his favor. He had to get that gun to come back up and away from the hostage. At the same time, he was painfully aware of all the people in this room, especially Rogue, and wasn't quite ready to give up his secrets just yet.
Zander chuckled, happy now with Gambit's discomfort. He knew Kimble's friend was actually thinking about answering. It showed love and respect for Kimble and he liked that. "Kyle says ya done it fer money, he cain't think of one other reason why you would bring Sabretooth down inta them tunnels. Ol' Kimble there, he tried ta say it wuz all about you makin' a mistake, but I could hear 'im questionin'. He had no answers fer what Kyle was askin'."
"How dare you!" Logan snapped at Kyle. "You don't know nuthin' about the kid! He's just usin' it as an excuse ta fuck with yer mind, Kim! That's all!"
"Then why doesn't your little thief answer the question?" Kyle countered. He didn't believe for a minute that Gambit would actually answer.
"Best be tellin' the truth now, little thief," the Punisher hissed. "Cuz I'll knows if yer lyin'."
Remy knew he would have to answer or he would lose Kimble forever. His heart filled with dread as he blurted out quickly, "Sinister said 'e would 'elp me."