(Cut to int. of Magneto's chambers. MAGNETO and PIETRO enter.)

Pietro: We gotta get outta here! We gotta get-- I gotta

start packing. Only essentials.

(PIETRO starts throwing things into a suitcase.

MAGNETO smiles broadly.) Travel light! Bring the

guns, the weapons, the knives (Stops and takes out

a picture of himself and MAGNETO) and how about

this picture? I don't know--I think I'm making a

weird face in it. (MAGNETO starts to laugh wildly.)

Oh, boy--he's gone nuts. He's cracked. (PIETRO

flies down to him and knocks on his head.) Father?

Magneto? Get a grip, Father! (MAGNETO grabs him around

the neck) Good grip!

Magneto: Prince Ali is nothing more than that ragged urchin

Gambit. He has the lighter, Pietro.

Pietro: Why that miserable--

Magneto: But you are going to relieve him of it!

Pietro: Me?

(Cut to ext. of palace. GAMBIT is looking at the gardens.)

Gambit: Headmaster? They want me to be Headmaster?

(WOLVERINE comes out of lighter)

Wolverine: Yeah! You won her heart bub! (Turns into a

one-man band. He sees GAMBIT walk away with his

head hung. He stops, scratches his head, comes up

with an idea, then zooms over to GAMBIT. He holds

up his hands like a director scoping a picture and

we look through them.) Gambit, you've just won

the heart of the princess. What are you gonna do

next? (GAMBIT looks at him, then walks away in

sadness to the bed, where he falls on it and sighs.

WOLVERINE again is confused, then goes to him and pulls

out a script labeled "Gambit." Whispering: )

Psst, your line is "I'm going to free Wolverine."

Anytime.

Gambit: Wolverine...I can't.

Wolverine: Sure you can. You just go "Wolverine, I wish you

free." (He grabs Gambit's head and uses

him as a mock ventriloquist's dummy. GAMBIT pulls away.)

Gambit: I'm serious. Look, I'm sorry--I really am. But

they want to make me headmaster--no, They want to make

Prince Remy Professor. Without you, I'm just Gambit.

Wolverine: Remy, you won!

Gambit: Because of you! The only reason anyone thinks I'm

anything is because of you. What if they find out

I'm not really a prince? (Quietly) What if

Rogue finds out? I'll lose her. Wolverine, I can't

keep this up on my own. I can't wish you free.

Wolverine: (Sarcastically) Hey, I understand. After all,

you've lied to everyone else. Hey, I was beginning

to feel left out. Now, if you'll excuse me,

master. (He says the last word in disgust, then

poofs back into the lighter.)

(STORM and HARLEY are watching from the window.)

Storm: Ohhh.

Gambit: Wolverine, I'm really sorry. (Logan ignores him) Well, fine. (He slams

a pillow on top of the lighter.) Then just stay in

there! (He looks at STORM and HARLEY.) What are you

guys looking at? (They both leave.) Look, I--I'm

sorry. Wait, Storm-- wait--I'm sorry, I didn't--

wait, c'mon. (He sighs.) What am I doing?

Wolverine's right--I gotta tell Rogue the truth.

Rogue: (From a distance) Remy, oh Remy--will you come here?

Gambit: (Putting on his trench coat) Well, here goes. (He walks

into the garden.) Rogue? Where are you?

(We see PIETRO standing next to a FLAMINGO

in the pond. He is imitating Rogue's voice.)

Pietro: Ahem--In the Garden, hurry.

Gambit: I'm coming.

(We see GAMBIT hurry past, not noticing the birds or Pietro running past him really fast. PIETRO laughs, then runs into the mansion and finds the lighter under the pillow.) Boy, Magneto's

gonna be happy to see you! (Stretches his face

like Magneto's and imitates it.) Good work, Pietro!

(Normal) Ah, go on. (MAGNETO) No, really--on a scale

of one to ten, you are an eleven! (Normal) Ah,

Father--you're too kind. I'm embarrassed, I'm

blushing. (He flies away with the lamp.)