Ororo was grateful that the day was coming to a conclusion. She had worked extended hours into the early night at the office. Her new client was becoming a frequent nuisance. Her irritants combined with Ororo's hormonal mood swings left her feeling drained and up tight. She more than anything wanted to feel normal again, to have a normal balance of hormones and a normal body. But she would still have to wait just under two months before she could think of that happening. She stepped into the shower, allowing the nearly scorching water to cleanse her of the stresses of the day and hopefully the anxiety that lingered. She took deep inhales of the black orchid shower gel Remy gave her to help block out all that was around her and only be conscious of the here and now.
"That's the place right there. Thievin' from a master thief, I am just too smart for my own good sometimes," Maurice laughed to himself, his nose crooked from being broken by Gambit. "I dunno about this Mo. There's a car parked in the driveway," his younger brother Ricky rebuffed with a slight speech impediment from recently losing his front teeth after unsuccessfully attacking the thief. Ricky didn't feel confident about the plan Maurice concocted just as he hadn't about the assault on Gambit. And they both knew how that ended.
Maurice scowled, "You never was too smart. That damn Gambit prolly got all kinds of fancy cars. That Anna girl said he got all sorta high-end stuff in there. The bastard stole that job from us. We just gonna take what's owed to us and embarrass him by doing it. Bet he thinks twice the next time he tries to make fools out of the Boudreauxs again." Ricky frowned. "I just dunno. It just don't feel right." This caused Maurice's temper to spike at an angry high. "Don't be such a pussy. Now you gonna help me, or I'll make you," he growled as he pat the back pocket of his jeans, where his sharpened switchblade was kept. Ricky reluctantly shook his head and followed his older brother.
Ororo had just stepped out of the shower and was toweling off, some water trapped in her ears from shampooing her snowy locks. The long steamy shower had helped her relax a bit but traces of her anxiety remained. She began to apply cocoa butter to her protruding midsection when she paused, uncertain if she heard a muffled sound or not from downstairs. She soon shrugged it off, determining it was probably Remy, deciding to come home early instead of staying out playing poker. Ororo continued to moisturize her skin, pleased that her belly remained unmarred by stretch marks.
The Boudreaux had just entered the residence when Ricky grabbed his brother's shoulder. "You hear that?" he whispered. "You a damn fool. We the only ones here, now c'mon," he replied and continued on. Ororo descended the stairs in her purple silk robe, hair still laid limply down her back from being washed. She called out, "Remy," as she turned into the living room only to be halted by the image of the two strange men in her home. The only movement she made was her eyes growing wide with alarm.
"Oh shit! I knew someone was here. Let's get outta here!"
Maurice however didn't react to the unexpected intrusion the same as his brother had. He saw Ororo as the perfect opportunity to get everything he wanted. He slowly stepped closer to her as he spoke, "Well looky here. Seems like Gambit got himself a old lady waiting at home for him. A pretty fille too. And she got a lil' one on the way… Wonder how much Gambit be willing to give for you." A twisted smile emerged onto Maurice's face as he stepped closer. Ororo gulped, shaking her head as she took a retreating step back. Her eyes darted to the front door, her revealing mistake.
Maurice reprimanded, "Now now, lady. Don't try to get any bright ideas. Wouldn't want nothing happening to you and that baby." With that he drew his switchblade, indicating to Ororo that he would make good on his threat.
It was moments like this when no matter how much humans may have evolved they reverted back to their two primal instincts; flight or fight. And Ororo would be damned if someone barged into her home and threatened her and the baby she carried.
Fury ran rampantly through her. Her azure irises dissolved and became ghostly white. Her left arm shot forward, a forceful gale gushed along with it slamming Maurice against the wall behind him, pinning him there. "Voodoo! Voodoo!" Ricky shouted fearfully before running out of the house.
Strands of Ororo's hair rose; tiny silvery sparks of electricity tinged with blue snapping between them. She strolled over to him. Ferocity was now accompanied with electricity and they both surged through her. Her right hand was clenched into a tight fist, crackling with energy. She stood before Maurice, his body unable to move against the rushing wind no matter his might. All he could do was drop the knife. In a removed yet ominous voice she spoke, "No one threatens me and my child. No one." Ororo then punched powerfully into his stomach, the electricity transferred from her to him. He convulsed violently from a few seconds before dropped to his knees, looking up to her in a daze before falling limply to the floor.
The winds died abruptly as the color returned to her eyes as if realizing in that moment just what she had done minutes before. "Oh no, oh no. Oh Bright Lady! Oh Goddess!" she whimpered as she peered down at the unconscious man on her floor. Her mind went into a frenzied panic of what to do. She grabbed her cell phone that she had left on the coffee table and instinctually began to dial 9-1-1 but never pressed send. I can't call them. I can't… She then called the only person she knew would understand.
Remy was just finishing a beer when his phone went off. He pushed back his shades while reaching into his duster and answered, "'Ello Stormy."
"Remy! Remy please come home right away."
He heard how frantic his usually calm Ororo sounded. His heart automatically jumped with worry.
"Wha' is it chere? Is it da bebe?"
"No. It's something bad, Remy, very bad. I'll explain once you get here. Just please come home, now!"
With that he hung up and gripped Logan's arm, pulling at him for attention. "I gotta go homme an' may need ya help. It's Ororo."
"Sorry Cajun. I ain't a midwife," Logan snorted.
"Non, homme it ain't da bebe. Sound like she in trouble. Remy may need backup."
Logan saw the look of anguish and concern that contorted his friend's features. He knew this was far more important than the usual fistfight they had dealt with together before. He grabbed his worn leather jacket. "All right Remy. Let's go."
Remy never went under ninety five miles an hour as he raced to the house, arriving there in record time.
He ran up to the house, noticing the door was wide open and sped up as he continued into the house with Logan right behind him. He didn't need Logan's advance senses to smell ozone blended with singed hair and flesh.
He reached Ororo standing in the middle of the living room visibly shaking. He placed both hands on either side of her face. "Stormy, petit ya gotta tell Remy wha's wrong." Her throat felt so tight and dry she almost believed it was coated in sandpaper as she said in a rushed jumble, "I came downstairs and there was two of them. The other one run away but he stepped forward and said he wondered how much he'd get for us and he had a knife in hand. Remy he had a knife and he was coming towards me. I slammed him against the wall with wind and I guess I electrocuted him. It all happened so quickly. I wanted to call an ambulance but I was afraid to because…" "'Cause ya a mutant," he finished for her. She solemnly nodded.
Her words finally sunk into Remy's brain. He turned around and joined Logan where he stood over the unconscious man. "I hear a heartbeat," Logan informed, confirming he was not dead. Remy recognized the pitiful heap of a man on the floor, rage spreading through out him. He gave a swift kick to his ribs. The sharp pain brought Maurice back to consciousness as he grasped his sides, sounding out a yelp. He was sure his ribs were at least cracked if not broken. "Ya came inta da wrong house homme," Remy announced while picking him up by the collar of his shirt. His fist connected with his nose, breaking it once more.
Remy grabbed onto Maurice's wooden rosary with a vice like grip, slowly choking him as he did. His voice was low and menacing as he sneered, "Ya know wha' else dey call me? Le Diable Blanc. Ya know why?" He paused just a beat as if Maurice would actually be able to answer with Remy's grip growing tighter. He yanked his sunglasses off to reveal his blood red eyes, blood lust visible in them. They shone brightly with wrath and revenge. He continued with a snarl, "'Cause I am da devil. An' I'll take ya ta hell wit' me."
Ororo was too stunned to be responsive but Logan noticed the magenta radiance around the rosary and knew he had to act quickly. He ran over to Remy and began to pull him away. "Ya gotta let go or it'll explode. You'll kill him," he ordered as Remy thrashed around in Logan's hold. He put up a mighty struggle but despite his stature Logan had the superior strength and Remy relinquished his grip.
Maurice struggled to find his footing as he rambled, "Le Diable Blanc... Mon Dieu! Le Diable Blanc!" Logan had seen enough of the imbecile. He decided to give him an added incentive to leave quicker. SNIKT! He brandished his claws, causing both Maurice's and Ororo's eyes to pop. "Run!" he roared, unveiling his pointed canines. Maurice bolted for the door exiting, never looking back.
"Merci beaucoup mon ami. If ya wasn't here I mighta killed 'im," Remy thanked, his anger blazed on.
"I'd be helping ya hide a body is what we'd be doing if I wasn't here, but don't mention it. Just coming through fer ya." Logan still felt Ororo's eyes on his claws. He retracted them. Her eyes finally moved up to his and in a frown she silently apologized for staring.
Remy and Logan continued to discuss the situation and what course of action if any to take. Remy yearned for vengeance but uncharacteristically Logan attempted to reason with him. But it all became distorted white noise to Ororo. Her head throbbed painfully from being completely overwhelmed by the events that just unfolded. The break in, the knife, the electricity… It was all too much. Her breaths grew shallow and her surroundings began to spin around her, quickly picking up speed with every passing second. She mustered all the focus she had left to reach out for Remy's hand. Breathlessly she said, "Remy… I feel dizzy." Then everything faded to black. Remy caught her wilted body in his arms.