Author's Note:Sorry guys; forgot to update because of an art project I'mdoing currently!But...I've got the introduction of a new character (who is not in the movies at all) in this chapter! I hope the transition is smooth for all of you...I did my research before adding him! Please don't kill me too badly if you don't like it xD
Summary: My initial take on what X3: The Last Stand would be like. Centered around Scott, Logan,and Storm's grief for Jean...they quickly learn that Jean has grown far stronger than ever imagined.. Magneto is drawn to Jean's sudden growth in power, and is also alarmed by the human's decision to create the "cure"...
Rating: Between T-M. There is a fair amount of language, semi-frequent mildadult-type-themes, and violence.
Main Characters (most main to lesser): Scott Summers, Jean Grey/Phoenix, Logan (Wolverine), Ororo (Storm), Magneto, Xavier, Rogue, Bobby, Mystique, Pyro...more in later chapters.
Pairings: major Scott/Jean, minor Logan/Ororo, moderate Logan/Jean, moderate Rogue/Bobby, and more in later chapters...
X-men is in no way owned by me...because otherwise I would have changed the way X3: The Last Stand was written. This fan fiction is also completely movie-verse.
Chapter 8 -- New Arrival
Still atop the roof, Storm bit back her tears and then uttered, "I have to find her…! This can't go on…"
"Find who?" Logan drawled in his curious voice, although he knew very well who she was speaking of.
Storm drew in an unexpected gasp as her reddened eyes flashed to the beast-in-disguise. "How long have you been standing there?" she demanded, groping for the edge of the shingles.
"Long enough," he muttered as he shrugged his shoulders.
She gave a stubborn sigh and then looked over her shoulder, a tint of red coming to her cheeks. She then blinked nervously, pushing the tears back, and then she eased herself off the roof and guided herself with the wind until she made contact with the solid ground again. "Jean," she whispered, still refusing to meet his eyes.
"Jean? After what she did to you?" Logan inquired.
"That wasn't Jean," Ororo muttered in defeat through gritted teeth.
"Oh really?" Now Logan was just pushing her for fun.
"Logan!" she cried, her voice pitched quite high. "You know very well what I'm talking about!" Her face twisted between grief and anger.
Logan gave a single chuckle and lied his hand on her shoulder as he responded, "I know. I'm sorry..I didn't mean to offend."
Ororo swallowed and blinked hard a few more times and then nodded. A few long seconds passed before she acknowledged his hand on her shoulder. Yet all she did was blush to the slightest degree again, and then she cleared her throat before she mumbled, "I better go…"
"Let me come with you," he replied quickly, withdrawing his hand.
She shook her head. "This is something I have to do alone… You and Scott already tried to summon her…I have to try now," she explained.
Logan's sigh was quiet yet reflected his deep sorrow. She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. "Alright. Just be careful," he finally said.
She nodded again, and then stole away into the mansion to gather her belongings before she headed for the garage.
----
The weather-woman stood just mere feet before a seemingly abandoned warehouse. It was mid-day at that point in time, and the wind whipped as the sun was trapped above an overcast sky. Ororo's mind was racing, yet her heart remained still.
"Jean!" She called just outside the door. "Jean, I know you're with Magneto…"
Silence responded to her.
"Jean…please…" She sighed and then continued, "Phoenix, I know you're angry. I know you don't trust us, but you've got to try! Jean needs to be in control…things have to start returning to normal sooner or later…"
On a near-by building, a young man perched curiously atop the roof. His face showed perplexity as he attempted to comprehend what the newcomer was shouting about.
"Who now? Jean…Phoenix? What is dis girl talking 'bout?" he muttered beneath his breath. His red eyes glowed like embers as he scanned the area for the millionth time since Storm arrived. He was beginning to claim her as his territory, and was getting quite attached to her. He chuckled to himself as he muttered, "I'll miss her."
"Jea--aah!" Storm screamed as she was knocked across the face. She hit the concrete hard, and could barely bring herself to a sitting position after the fall.
"Don't bother," one woman sneered, "It'd be easier if you just stayed where you are."
Storm lifted a hand to her throbbing forehead as she muttered questioned incoherently. Her eyes were heavy as the pounding grew worse.
A man drew a pistol and cocked it as he held it in Storm's direction. She sucked in a sudden breath when she heard the click. The group of eight drew their guns in the same fashion.
The man on the roof grit his teeth and growled. He then lifted one side of his over-coat, and within the inner pocket there was a foot-long solid steel bar. He withdrew the bar and then flicked it behind him. And almost like magic, the bar extended two feet on either side, making the pole slightly shorter than himself. He then slyly retrieved a couple playing cards from the sleeve of the jacket, and he held them between his middle and pointer fingers.
"I missed y'all as well," he growled, this time loud enough for the group to hear. He then threw the cards like two miniature boomerangs, and they whizzed through the air with an incredible force. The group had hardly had enough time to recognize the voice before the cards literally exploded in front of their very faces.
The man then leapt from the roof and landed with a heavy thud beside Storm, who was now regaining sight and was able to stand. He twirled the pipe leisurely in his one hand, while he'd drawn two more cards and held them with the other.
"Who are you, kid?" Storm hissed, seeing that he was clearly trying to help.
"Gambit," the woman interjected, a foul air to her words, "so nice to see you again." She pointed her handgun to him.
He traced the gun with his piercing red eyes and gave one of his unforgettable grins. "Tha's right," he drawled as he let the two cards soar towards her.
A shot went off and Storm winced. Within the mere seconds that the bullet had been fired, Gambit had drawn another card and thrust it at the bullet, causing a nasty explosion.
"Don't think so, guys," he barked. He then twirled the pipe between his two hands and hit the man who had fired the shot over the head with the lead bar. The man stumbled back, and Gambit continued to strike at the group, dodging what little gunfire they'd exchange.
Storm watched in amazement at the man's skill. She was also slightly confused about the explosive playing cards, but she didn't care too much, seeing as he was protecting her.
"How 'bout you go find your own prey, kid?" the woman snarled after being struck with the bar.
"How 'bout you go to hell?" he barked back, before the bar collided with her head again, causing blood to trickle down through her dark hair.
"You've never even seen her, Gambit. Give her up and we'll get out of here," another added.
"What use is she to you?" he questioned.
Lightning cracked overhead, and a few of the gang looked up. Storm's eyes were clouded with the white clouds as she began to stir the sky up. But as Gambit fought back the group, one of them slipped past him and seized the weather-woman, grasping her neck. She gagged as she lost grip on the sky, and she tried to kick the man, but it was impossible. He was able to hold her up with one hand, no effort required.
She managed a small cry of help, and Gambit instantly flung the pole into the man's skull, and a sickening crack echoed through the already bloodied air. The man instantly dropped Storm to the floor, and she stumbled as she tried to find her balance. Gambit came from behind her and took her hand to steady her, and then he kindly retrieved his deadly metal spear.
"Get lost," he snarled. And they finally did. All it took was a little persuasion.
Storm massaged her neck as she regulated her breathing. Gambit sighed and rubbed his own neck as he waited for her.
"What just happened?" he breathed, still slightly hoarse.
Gambit rolled his eyes a bit, and then mused, "My old 'friends.'"
"Old 'friends', huh? Some group there…"
"Thieves Guild, actually."
"Then why did you help me?"
"I broke 'way a long time ago, lady."
"Okay, and what was with the cards?" she questioned.
Gambit struggled to form the answer. He didn't really feel safe giving her the truth, for he hadn't seen her when she attempted to manipulate the weather. "It's…jus something that comes naturally. When I throw things they explode," he muttered, and his voice faded at the end.
"So…you're a mutant?" she concluded slowly.
"I guess," he whispered.
"You look…familiar," she added.
"I guess we could'of seen each other at one point or another…I was a thief for the majority of m'life, anyway," he chuckled.
"No, like you look like someone I've met," she paused and then shook herself back into reality, "But that's besides the point. I'm a mutant as well…I can control the weather." Again she paused. "Storm," she said as she stuck out her hand.
He took it and grinned, "Nice to meet you, Stormy."
She rolled her eyes but then smiled. "Thank you, by the way."
"No problem. Y'live on the streets for a while…and y'learn some things," he commented.
"You live on the streets? No home?"
He shook his head, "I drift."
"I know a place you could come…you'd be safe. It's a school…for people like us," she replied, her eyebrows slightly raised from his response.
"A school? Don't you think you're a bit ol'?" he replied.
"I'm a teacher there. But Professor Xavier owns the mansion, and he lets us live there. It's just mutants there, though," Storm explained.
"A teacher..okay that explains everything," he murmured sarcastically. "But…why would you bother? Who says dis guy's gonna let me stay?"
"Xavier hasn't turned down a mutant before," she replied, as if she believed strongly in her words.
His eyebrows rose at her stern tone. "Okay, Stormy… I'll check it out…I guess."
----
"Professor?" Storm called quietly as she rapped upon his office door.
"Come in, Storm," he replied kindly.
She looked to Gambit quickly, and then opened the door with nimble fingers. It gave a small squeak as she fully opened it.
"Professor…I…I've brought another mutant," she stated shakily. Both she and Gambit strode into his spacious office, of which he was sitting behind the desk in his same old wheelchair.
"I see," he smiled warmly. "Hello, Gambit."
His eyes hardened with confusion, and he looked to Storm for help.
"I am Professor Charles Xavier. And as I can see from the confusion on your face, I know your name because I am a telepathic mutant. I already knew your mutant name. Perhaps you would like to grace me with your real name?" he explained.
"Remy LeBeau…" he replied, relaxing only to the smallest degree.
"Well, Remy, I'm sure you'd like a place to stay. Storm informed me that you rescued her from a band of thieves while she was out looking for Ms. Jean Grey. She also tells me that you have no permanent housing?" he questioned.
Gambit nodded slowly. Storm smiled.
"Feel free to take a room in the mansion," he paused. "I'm sure Storm has also informed you that this is indeed a school, where the older mutants pose as teachers to the younger."
Again he nodded.
"And I would assume that you are past your years of school, correct?"
"Yessir," he replied, calming further as he realized he was being accepted here.
"But I do not believe that you are old enough to be a teacher, nor do I think that you would particularly want to be one," he chuckled.
"Tha's right, sir," he smiled now.
"Well go get settled then, and we will talk further at a later point in time," he finished. Xavier then turned to Storm and added, "Have Rogue show him around the school and grounds… I know you have a class shortly, and she already informed me that she was 'done for the day.'"
Storm nodded and then rose quietly. Gambit looked to her and rose quickly and the two slipped out of the room.
"I don' think he likes me," Gambit muttered guiltily.
"Don't be stupid, Gambit. He would never dislike a mutant coming to him for help," she objected. "Alright…well let's go find Rogue and then I'll get back to my classes…" she muttered, starting down the hall.
"Wait! You mean you can't show me 'round?" he questioned anxiously.
"Rogue is perfectly capable…and I'm sure you'll like her. She's a nice girl," Storm smiled.
Gambit not only was in a strange, new place, but he felt caged and trapped as well. After living off of the streets of a busy city, and belonging to a thieves guild no less, he was not fond of anything less than complete freedom.
The two turned a corner, and Rogue was heading down the hall in the opposite direction.
"Oh…Rogue!" Storm called.
The young woman turned around on the dime and replied, "Yes…Storm?" Her eyes fell on Gambit's figure, whom she'd never seen before. She was slightly wary of him, seeing his gangly appearance.
"Rogue, this is Gambit. Gambit, this is Rogue," she started. "The Professor requested that you show him around the school and the grounds, because he will be staying with us for a while."
Gambit nodded, and Rogue gave a small nod in response.
"Where…why?" she questioned.
"I was out looking for Jean, and I was attacked. He saved me, and I offered him a place with us," Ororo explained, smiling. She glanced down at her watch, and then added quickly, "But if you don't mind, I really must be off…my classes start in ten minutes…" And with that she bounded off around the corner again, leaving the two behind.
"So…you're Rogue," he muttered, looking her over.
She nodded, and then asked, "Gambit. What's your real name?"
"Remy. Yours?"
She rolled her eyes and replied, "Marie. I like Rogue better though."
He nodded and then said, "So…what's dis place like?" His eyes left her and gazed across the walls.
"It's not bad. I ran away from my home a few years back and ended up here…and it's nice when you don't have anyone you can turn to," she honestly replied.
Gambit sighed and shifted the weight of his body on his feet. His hands slipped into his pockets, and then he stated, "So Stormy tells me everyone here is a mutant. I know she can mess with the weather, and that Xavier dude is a telepath…what's the story with you?"
She bit her lip and whispered, "It's…complicated."
"I got time. It's not like I got anywhere to go," he chuckled.
She smiled and then sighed again. "I can't touch people. It hurts them…"
His eyebrows drew together. "What…whaddya mean?"
"Well…you see I'm wearing gloves, right?" she held up her hand, "I can't touch people skin to skin. If it's a regular human, I start draining their life. If it's a mutant, I take their power for a bit," she ended quietly.
"God…that mus' suck," he clicked his tongue.
She raised her eyebrows for a brief second and replied, "Yeah…kinda does complicate things."
"I bet your boyfriend is a little pissed, huh?" he crossed his arms and smirked. His eyes fell on her again.
She whispered, "We try," and for a moment, their eyes met. She hadn't noticed the piercing red shade of his, and it startled her so much that she halfway staggered a step back. "Do you wear contacts…or what's the deal?" she questioned quickly, catching herself.
He sucked in a breath. That had been something he himself couldn't figure out. "I…no. They've been like dis ever since I can remember," he replied shamefully. He'd seen her fear.
"So…should I show you the rest of the school?" she broke the silence that was beginning to arise.
"Yeah, that'd be good," he confirmed.
They began to walk side by side, yet they hardly looked at one and other. It almost seemed as if they'd both thrown up an invisible barrier between themselves. Yet they continued to talk. Rogue explained the dorms, the classes, the school, and finally the X-men team. Gambit listened patiently, and commented at the appropriate times. Rogue was able to accurately describe each of the X-men, except for Jean. She was still hesitant to speak of her, ever since that day at Alkali Lake.
When Gambit inquired further about Jean, Rogue told him the story of the day at the Lake. The base, the dam bursting, and her heroic sacrifice for their sake. Gambit was amazed, and stunned that she'd thrown her life in for the others.
"May I see a picture of her?" he asked quietly.
Rogue nodded, and then she quickly led him down another hall, the one to her room. She left him waiting outside as she slipped into her single room, a room she'd recently acquired with Xavier's permission, and retrieved the last picture of her and Scott together. When she reappeared in the hall, she handed it to Gambit gently. He took the framed image in his own fingers and looked over it carefully.
It took his breath away, and he had a hard time whispering, "She's gorgeous…"
Rogue nodded sadly.
"And that mus' be Scott?"
"Yes. They…they were so in love before that day," she whispered as he handed her the photograph again. "It's torn Scott apart though…he's such a mess because of her loss… And not only that, but Phoenix returned to us, and only tortured him by housing in Jean's body."
"Love is tragic, huh?" Gambit commented, folding his arms as he leaned against the wall outside her room as she replaced the picture.
"Sometimes," Rogue whispered from within the room.
"So you never told me who you were going out with," Gambit noted, a smirk returning to his face.
Rogue clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes playfully. She then fake sighed, "Well if you insist… I've been with Bobby, whom they call Iceman, for about two years now…" Her voice drifted off and her gaze fell to the floor.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's nothing…" she replied, emptily.
"Oh, sure," Gambit remarked.
"It's just that he's been hanging around Kitty a lot lately…and I don't know if it's because something's come up between them…or what. Bobby's still being sweet and kind and everything, but it just feels like we never see each other any more…" she explained.
Gambit looked out the nearest window and replied in a far-off voice, "Maybe he's moving on without you… Maybe he feels handicapped by your mutation…"
Rogue grit her teeth loosely within her mouth. Her breathing sped a bit as she considered the possibility. "I'd like to think not," she whispered.
"I don't know dis guy, but some idiots aren't content with what they're given," he sighed, looking down at the ground.
Rogue all of a sudden snapped back to reality, and questioned playfully, "Why do you even care, huh?"
"Oh, no reason…jus' future references," he smiled as the afternoon twilight rested on his glowing face.