This chapter is brought to you by Fostersb. Give a massive amount of applause to aiRo25 for her editing work. Please note that neither she, nor any of the other members of the Round Robin Team own the X-men, X-men the movie or any part of the Marvel universe.

ROMY Round Robin Chapter 10

Rogue did not consider herself a giddy woman. She left the pep and perkiness to girls like Kitty, who seemed to be brimming with energy. However, as she walked down the streets of New Orleans, Rogue had to admit she was rather excited.

After arguing with Remy for over an hour, she had managed to convince him to let her do the surveillance at the bar. For the first time in months, Rogue was able to do something that resembled a mission. She felt like an athlete returning to play after a long hiatus. Energy coursed through her body, the anticipation making her feel alive and aware. She carried herself with confidence, smirking as she observed multiple men checking out her leather-clad hips.

As she neared the bar, Rogue went over her game plan. Logan had told her numerous times that, in order to gain information, she had to blend in and remain calm. Rogue couldn't just walk into the club and start asking about the chalice. She had to gain the patrons trust, talk about the mundane, and then hopefully coax the information out of lips loosened by drink.

Finally, Rogue reached the bar, which was halfway down a side street within the French Quarter. It was built into one of the beautiful Victorian houses and a plain wooden sign at the top of the door held the name Le Quartier. Rogue knew from her limited French that this translated to The Quarter.

Upon walking inside, Rogue immediately understood why someone like Remy would choose a place like this to frequent. It was inconspicuous, small and held a familial air. It had none of the garish flash that other clubs in the area had. There was only one large room with a dozen or so mahogany chairs and tables. The lighting was dim and warm, reminding Rogue of a 19th century smoking room. On the right were three pool tables while on the left there was the bar. The air was filed with a slightly sweet smell, remnants of past cigars.

There were only a few men in the place, not surprisingly since it was early afternoon. There were two older men sitting at one of the tables in muted conversation and a middle-aged man sat all the way at the end of the bar, nursing a beer. Rogue doubted that they would know anything about the chalice and so chose to focus her attention on the bartender.

She strode up to the bar and signaled to the barkeep. He looked to be about fifty years old, had brown hair that was graying at the temples and a slight belly that suggested he often imbibed with his customers. He slowly walked over, eyeing her for a minute, his eyes holding a look of slight surprise. Rogue assumed he probably didn't see many women in his establishment and definitely not at 2PM.

"What can I get ya, miss?" he asked in a monotone voice.

"Beer, whatever you have on tap," Rogue responded, trying to be nonchalant as if she drank everyday.

He nodded in response and then turned to retrieve her drink. Rogue turned around and, leaning on the bar, sought to get a fuller picture of the room. Though the room was sparse, Rogue hoped she would be able to see any nook or cranny where Etienne might have left his chalice. Considering how dark the furniture and floors were, a golden item would stick out. Rogue sighed. There was no way that someone wouldn't have noticed the object.

She felt a little deflated. When the bartender returned with her beer, Rogue took a large sip and pursed her lips in frustration as she put down the glass with a little more force than was necessary. The bartender looked up from wiping his countertop but let her be. To him, an irritated drinker was a daily occurrence.

Rogue turned back towards the room and continued to think of places that she might be able to search for the chalice. She would definitely have to look in the bathroom, both of them, as Etienne might have been too inebriated to know which one to use. She hoped that he hadn't dropped it in the trash. If so, it would be buried under a mountain of garbage in some landfill. If that were the case, Etienne would be the one to do the digging.

Rogue was too detracted and therefore didn't realize someone was next to her until she felt, and smelled, the warm alcoholic breath on her neck.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a bar all alone?" the masculine voice asked with a slight slur in his southern accent.

Rogue turned to see a man in his early thirties. He was of average height and decent looking with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes. His scruffy chin suggested he had spent too many days in a bar. He wore blue jeans, a collared shirt and a leather jacket. To Rogue, he seemed like a harmless guy looking to score.

"Nothing. I'm just new in town and thought I would get the lay of the land." Rogue smiled, hoping that a little innocent flirting would push the man to open up and give her some information.

"Well, if you are looking to see the sites, I would be more than happy to escort you around." As the man leaned into Rogue, he reached his arm around her back to place his hand on her ass.

Rogue's hand shot out and grabbed his, twisting it enough to deter him from trying the move again.

"Thanks but I can do just fine on my own." Rogue couldn't believe that she, the once untouchable girl, was standing in a bar having to fend off a man trying to feel her up. Though she had been able to touch people for a while, she was still surprised when contact was initiated and sometimes struggled to not become defensive, as she had been for so many years when she was cursed.

Rogue heard a slight chuckle and noticed the bartender walked towards them.

"Now, Jasper, you know better then to try that move with the ladies. It hasn't worked in the past ten years and I don't imagine it would work this time."

Jasper muttered a curse and looked at the floor, obviously embarrassed by the chiding.

"I am sorry about that miss. Jasper is just extra friendly after he gets a couple in him. He really is harmless."

"Doc, I take offense to that," Jasper replied. "I will have you know that I have a very successful record with the ladies."

" You leave this one alone. She is far too young and too pretty to be paying for your drinks." Doc laughed and then turned his attention to Rogue. "Miss, if you have any questions about the Big Easy, you should ask me. I have been living here over forty years and know all the ins and outs."

Rogue smiled and knew that she was going to have to rely on the bartender in order to get any information. "Thanks, I was told by some people that your bar was a good place to grab myself a drink and relax."

"Yes miss, I don't like to brag, but it is all true," Doc stated with a coy smile on his face. "I am a friend to anyone at anytime."

"It seems like everyone I have met in this town is nice. So different from where I am from. It's good to return to the South where people are open and warm."

"Don't let anyone tell you anything different," Jasper added.

"Yeah," Rogue continued. "Back up North I worked in a large fancy department store selling jewelry. It was good income, but it was so tiresome dealing with rude, arrogant people everyday. Plus, I want to open my own jewelry store and I just knew I wouldn't be able to do that in the big city. So I moved here. I am hoping to set up a small boutique someday. But in the meantime, I am just looking for work."

Rogue hoped that discussing this line of work might provide a chance for her to bring up the chalice.

"I wish you success," Doc said.

"So far, I have had some luck. Been in a couple of shops where I might work as a salesgirl. When I was in one of them I met some guys who said with my knowledge, I could make a lot of money appraising jewels. It might be enough for me to get my shop started. Apparently, the company they have, TG Incorporated, sells a lot of merchandise."

Rogue could see Doc and Jasper stiffen.

"Miss," Doc started hesitantly. "I would advice you not to work for TG."

"Oh really? They seemed decent enough," Rogue replied.

"No." Doc shook his head. He glanced around the bar, then leaned in towards Rogue and lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "You didn't hear this from me, but TG, they are the Thieves Guild. They make their money by robbing. Any jewels they would bring you are hot. You would be just looking to get yourself into a world of trouble. Its best if you stay far away from them."

"What, are these men evil?" Rogue asked with a laugh. "It sounds as if people are afraid they might be killed if they talk too much. You would think they were the mob."

"That is something you shouldn't joke about," Doc stated in a quiet, serious tone. "The Guilds are not a bunch of ragtag delinquents. They are real criminals, who steal, maim and kill. They don't care who they hurt as long as they get what they want. They wear fancy clothes, spend lots of money and flirt with a lot of women. But underneath that façade, they are monsters who will hurt anyone, guilty or innocent."

"Yeah," Jasper continued. "They have been tearing up the town for over a century. Plus they been at war with the Assassins for decades."

"War?" Rogue asked.

"Yep, between the Thieves Guild and the Assassins Guild," Jasper answered. "One makes money by thieving, the other by killing. The leaders of the Guilds, families, the Bordreauxs and the LeBeaus, can't stand each other. Each wants to run the city, each thinks that he is better than the other and each will do anything to prove it. There is peace now, a truce of sorts, but those never last and this one won't either."

So Remy was not only a member of the Guild, he was also their leader. No wonder he was so invested in getting back the chalice.

Jasper continued. "When the wars were really bad, every week there was another bloody event. They would fight in the streets, in the bars, even once in church. People were afraid to go out at night lest they get caught in the crossfire."

"The members of the Guilds don't trust anyone outside their own. If they are friendly to someone it is only because they are a means to further their crimes. They don't befriend people, they use them," Doc asserted.

A funny feeling started to grow within Rogue. She felt a crawling within her stomach, a sign of unease. Perhaps she shouldn't be involving herself with Remy, Etienne and the Guilds. Though the two men seemed nice enough, she had not left the X-men to become a criminal.

Though she couldn't judge Remy and Etienne for what they had done and what they did, she didn't have to be party to it. Maybe she could just give the information to Remy and then ask them to leave her house. The Guild was wealthy. There had to be other safe houses they could use. Rogue would tell Remy that she would not go to the police, Etienne would leave, and Rogue would return to her initial goal of living in quiet solitude in her house. She could find other ways of feeding her craving for action. Perhaps she would start to race motorcycles or get a puppy.

Rogue was brought out of her thoughts when Doc tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, miss, you should really stay away from them Guilds. Those people have been running the streets for too long and are too wily to be messed with. Anyone who gets involved in the blood feud usually ends up hurt or dead."

"But you let them into your bar," Rogue replied.

"I ain't stupid. They do bring in good business and things have been fair since they called truce. But there is a big difference between letting them drink in your bar and doing them favors."

"Yeah," Jasper agreed. "There aren't many men strong enough to associate with the Guilds. A man has got to either be real stupid or real desperate to do so. Only man I seen talking to the Assassins in here that ain't one of the family is Bandit, and he is just too cocky to know better."

"Bandit?" Rogue asked intrigued by his name.

"Yep," Jasper answered. "Large black man that comes into the bar to play pool. He is quite a player, hustles most people out of their money right quick. He's got a ton of muscle and he ain't afraid to use it. Once I saw him throw a chair out the door."

"So?" Rogue replied.

"There was a 300 lb. man sitting in it at the time. Guess he figures the Guilds can't hurt him and their money is worth the risk."

The bartender nodded in agreement. "I heard he was a mercenary, willing to do any job as long as the pay is right." Turning to Rogue, he smiled. "You seem like a nice girl. Don't ruin yourself by trusting those folks. New Orleans is a beautiful place full of excitement and friendly faces. But it can turn dark quick if you're not careful."

Rogue nodded, reaching into her wallet and pulling out money to pay for her beer. She figured there was no use prolonging her time here, as it seemed that this was now all the information that she was going to get.

"I thank you for your advice. I think from now on I will stick to the beignets and stay out of the bars."

"Right, just remember to zip your purse and never put your money in your pockets," Doc replied.

"Thanks again," Rogue called out as she left the bar.

Rogue squeezed her eyes as she walked out into the harsh sunlight. She couldn't say that her work had been very successful in retrieving information. The bartender and the customers were unwilling to discuss Guild business, and Rogue got the feeling they were genuinely ignorant of the chalice.

However, Rogue was interested by the man they called Bandit. He was friendly with the Assassins, a frequent customer of the bar, and someone who was willing to do dirty jobs as long as he was paid. It was a possibility that he might know something about the chalice and what might have happened to it. At the very least, it would be worth contacting him to see what knowledge he might have and how he fit into the story.

Rogue shook her head. No, she was not going to get further involved; this was a mess that she wanted no part of. She could not in good conscience help criminals. That was not who she was and would be a shame to all the principles that Xavier had taught her. Her heart hurt as she thought of her former mentor and imagined him being disappointed in her actions. Sure, she was not an X-man anymore, not a superhero, but she was still going to try and be a good person.

She thought of Etienne. The young man was kind, timid and far too gentle to be a criminal. Perhaps she could convince Etienne to forget the Guild and live an honest life. She had grown fond of the young man and knew he could do better. She would never want him to be like her, burdened by the guilt of having hurt others.

Rogue understood it would be no small task; she was asking him to give up his family, his friends and the only life he had known. But it was still worth the try. If it wasn't successful, at least Rogue could take solace in the fact that she had made the effort.

As Rogue neared the end of the street, she felt confident in the decision that she was making. She turned the corner and gasped as an arm wound around her torso and pulled her into the darkness.