I honestly have no idea when/if this story will ever get published.

It needs a lot more work than most of my others.

Not to mention figuring out how/where to put in certain plot twists.

Plus the number of OCs/minor Characters

That last bit though, I can take care of now

This segment of DD is devoted to the background of "Nothing Up My Sleeves"

Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and one of you will adopt it

p.s. Own nothing and no one

11: Nothing Up My Sleeves

Remy/Gambit: See Preview Under S&S

Note: He is the leader of the group. Gambit rescued all the other members of his team after their tragedies, trained them, and gave them a purpose. Also, just because he was exiled from New Orleans (I am going with the comic version of events) does not mean he is out of touch with his family. He's got plenty of resources.

Saint John/Pyro

Age 13

"Stand aside Mary," the large man said in what he thought was a reasonable manner. "We don't want to hurt you." A few of the people behind him murmured agreements, while some of the others looked like they couldn't care less.

The woman's eyes flashed fire. "Are you all out of your minds?" she snapped, still standing between the mob and her son. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves." Her hands trembled. Partially from anger, but more from fear.

She should have taken Saint John and run at the first sign of trouble, Mary thought to herself But, she had thought it would blow over. She had lived in this town all her life, so had her late husband. For her, this place was home, and home was supposed to be safe. Somehow, that just made this all worse.

Desperately the young woman turned her attention to another member of the crowd. "You know me Jim." He knew her son too. "You used to bring Angie over so she and Johnny could play." She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. "Please, he's just a boy."

For a moment Jim looked uncomfortable before his expression hardened. "Be that as it may . . ." He never got to finish as someone else shoved him aside.

"That's no boy. It's a monster."

"Yeah!" came a different voice. "Let's get rid of it. Doesn't belong here filthy mutie."

"Kill it! Kill them all!"

Mary shoved her son more securely behind her. "It's alright," she whispered to him. "Everything is going to be fine." She took one step, then a second and a third. Forget the house, forget everything. Material possessions could be replaced. If they could just make it to the car.

They were halfway there when disaster struck in the form of a sound like thunder. Mary gasped, staggering as she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Uncomprehending, she looked down to see the crimson stain spreading across the material of her shirt. Then, she fell.

"Mom!" St. John shouted, dropping to his knees. "Mom, are you alright? Answer me." She didn't. She couldn't. Mary would never answer anyone again, her eyes glazed over in death. The teenager was in shock. He might just have sat there indefinitely had there not come a voice from the crowd.

"Serves her right the bitch."

The boy snarled, turning his head towards the crowd. "How dare you," he said. Voice shaking with fury as his hand closed over his Mother's cigarette lighter. She had carried it for as long as he could remember. It had been a gift from his Father. Almost in slow motion, he flipped it open. Striking a single spark. But then, that was all the young mutant needed. "Burn."

Note: Pyro's guilt stems from the fact that his inexperience caused the fire to get out of control. Killing the innocent along with the guilty. His hometown no longer exists.

Wraith/Rashid

Age 15

It had happened again. Once again he had somehow been transported into the world of shadows. That odd space between spaces where there was no light and no sound. Only this time he hadn't gone alone.

Somewhat desperately the teen looked around the small clearing that his family had chosen for their picnic. It had now been more than an hour since his parents and three siblings had disappeared. And, worst of all, Rashid had no idea how to get them back.

"Just calm down," the young man told himself. "Don't panic." He had done this, so it was only logical he should be able to undo it. "Think." How had he gotten himself out? That was easy. He had just pictured himself back in the real world.

So maybe. Rashid closed his eyes, building a perfect picture of the clearing in his mind. Then, he inserted his family, grasping his powers as best he could and pushing. When he opened them, his sister was lying on the grass in front of him.

The teenager was moving instantly. "Eba!" he cried grabbing her joyfully only to pause. Something was wrong. Releasing her, he backed away in horror, nearly falling over his own feet as he did so. The six year old's skin was blue. Her body cold and stiff, and she wasn't breathing.

His baby sister. The one member of his family who had never judged him. Even after the manifestation of his power had turned him into what amounted to a living shadow. Who had always been waiting with a ready smile. And now he had killed her.

"What have I done?" he whispered. Looking around, he saw other bodies. Corpses whose faces were all too familiar. All at once, Rashid's stomach rebelled, and he heaved. Stomach acid mixing with the food he had eaten in what seemed to be another life to spew on the ground in front of him.

Ever since the day when Rashid had realized he was a mutant he had tried to tell himself it would be alright. That this had happened to him for a reason. Now though, the fifteen year old knew better. It would never be all right again.

Note: Wraith's main power is transportation through the "shadow realm" to the location of his choice (anywhere on Earth). He can take others. However it is very cold there. If someone without protection is left for too long they will freeze to death. He is also the team's hacker.

Amp/Blaise

Age 14

The blond sat on the ratty couch, knees drawn up to his chest. Blue-gray eyes staring blankly past the television. Things had finally been starting to go his way. As an orphan Blaise had always known when to fade into the background.

The teenager had also known when to let himself be noticed. The science fair six months ago had been that time. His skills in the field of engineering had guaranteed him a scholarship to the university of his choice. Now though, he could see his dreams of the future going up in smoke.

Blaise hadn't been upset when his powers manifested. He had actually thought it was pretty cool, being able to manipulate electricity. He had practiced in secret, making bigger and bigger blasts. And nothing compared to the joy he felt the day he first discovered that he could fly.

But that had been then. The blond swallowed hard, wishing he had never even heard the word mutant. One of his blasts had slipped from his control, becoming far larger and far more dangerous than he had expected.

EMP, an electromagnetic pulse, that was what Blaise had unleashed. He had taken out a quarter of the cities power grid, including the airport. A jumbo jet had been in the process of landing at the time. The teen had no idea how many people had died when it plowed into the ground. And to be honest, he didn't want to know.

Any minute now, the blond expected the police to come busting through the door. To haul him away into some deep dark pit where no one would ever see him again. He deserved it. Maybe even wanted it. How else could he make up for what he'd done?

Note: Muses say official ruling of the police was that the EMP was caused by a group of terrorists with a bomb. So Blaise will not be constantly looking over his shoulder for the police.

Laura/X-23/Raptor

Age: Complicated

The shadowy figure released her arm and leaped backwards an instant before the clone's claws could connect. She snarled, mostly to cover her confusion. What the hell had just happened? She had completed her personal mission. Allowing her creators to capture her so she could destroy them from within. And it had worked.

An instant ago she had been standing on the bridge of a dying ship. Explosions going off all around her. X-23 had expected to die. Not even her healing abilities would have been able to handle all of the damage. What she had not expected was for another group to interfere.

"Evening chere."

The clone looked up to see a slender figure lounging on a large boulder about ten feet above her head. The glowing red eyes were a clear giveaway to his identity. "Gambit." Alpha Level mutant, powers centered around the manipulation of kinetic energy, she recalled the information from his file. Master Thief currently in the employ of the mutant terrorist known as Magneto.

There was only one logical explanation for his actions. "I will not allow myself to be used again," the feral snarled, sounding very much like Wolverine. "Not by Hydra, and certainly not by Magneto" And if the other chose to press the issue he could just go back in pieces.

Gambit merely smirked. "Mote point really, considering the bucket-head ain't here." Nor did Magneto have any idea that he was. Given Pyro's idea of what a distraction entailed, his supposed employer probably didn't even know he had left Bayville.

The young woman paused, considering the response. If the other wasn't here for Magneto then that meant . . . Her eyes narrowed. "You're an agent." No doubt he had infiltrated the Master of Magnetism's camp solely for the purpose of one day taking him down. Which meant of course, that Gambit was working on behalf of someone else. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want with me?" she demanded. She stood by her earlier words, she would be no one's tool.

The Cajun shrugged. "Well chere, that's really up to you." He paused briefly. "But the way I see it, you have four options."

Note: Options were 1. walk away 2. go back to X-men 3. accept forged identity and try to live normal life 4. Join Gambit and co. Like the rest of them, Laura is what she is.

Well, that is the team. Though I do have a couple other minor characters in mind

But, it is late and I'm tired so I guess this is good-bye

'til next time

peppymint