Chapter Fifty-Five:


Tessa winced as Rogue hit the pavement, hard, the ground shuddering under the impact.

A normal woman would have been dead instantly, but Rogue was, like Tessa herself, anything but normal. Born with the X-gene, they were gifted with extraordinary talents and powers that enabled them to do the impossible.

In this case, it meant that Rogue was able to go toe-to-toe with the unstoppable force of the Juggernaut, a mutant by the name of Cain Marko whose latent mutant genes had been awakened by mysticism during his college days. In truth, Tessa found this fascinating, because one of her own powers was the ability to act as a catalyst, to awaken latent powers in those with the repressed mutant gene. She had quite a few files in her head about the incident, her highly developed psycho-centric power template gave her mind computer-like storage abilities to record and analyze vast amounts of data, and she would have loved the chance to ask Cain a few questions.

Now, however, was not the time for such things.

Throwing herself into a handspring, she leapt across the Juggernaut's path, distracting him from continuing his assault on Rogue, who was struggling to her feet, disoriented from the blow to her head. Though Tessa lacked the strength to fight the Juggernaut one-on-one, and her psionic powers were ineffective against him thanks to the psi-shielding helmet he wore, her power allowed her to track the probability of her opponent's movements, and simultaneously control her own body- completely.

In a fight, it was nearly impossible to land a blow on her.

That skill came in handy in the thieving business, and over the years her fellow thieves had staked their lives on her abilities a dozen times over. She had been accepted into the Thieves Guild fold at the age of eleven, and her powers had manifested two years later. She had been the first mutant in the Guild, but not the last, with Remy and Lucas both soon showing signs of the X-gene. Though they'd had no formal training with their powers, they'd worked through it together and taught themselves both control and finesse.

Perhaps finesse is too strong of a word, Tessa mused with amusement, recalling the incident when Remy had accidentally charged up Jean-Luc's favorite chair when the Giants won the Super Bowl. Luckily Lucas had reacted quickly and absorbed the energy before the explosion could happen, or else they would have all been in serious trouble with the Guild Master.

Rogue was on her feet again, in a matter of speaking, hovering in the air as she exchanged blows with the Juggernaut. Tessa kept her distance, not wanting to distract Rogue and giving herself a good view of the fight so that she could observe and track the Juggernaut's movements.

From what she understood, the last time that Rogue had faced down the Juggernaut, it had taken not only the X-men, but a rival mutant team, as well, to take him down.

Let us hope that four of us will be enough, she thought.

Rogue took another hit, and slammed into a parked car with enough force to dent the driver's side door all the way to the passenger's side. Vaulting to her feet, Tessa grabbed a piece of metal from the car and flicked it at the Juggernaut's neck. If he'd been a normal human, she'd have broken his neck, but thanks to his powers all it did was annoy him.

Still, it got him to back off from Rogue for a few minutes.

Sensing a pair of familiar presences approaching, Tessa dodged the mailbox the Juggernaut hurled in her direction, diving into a roll out of its path as it crashed into the wall behind her. The boys are here, she called to Rogue as the other woman plowed into the back of the Juggernaut's shoulder, spinning the behemoth mutant around and delivering a powerful right-hook to his jaw while he was regaining his balance.

The roar of engines filled the air, and Tessa looked over her shoulder to see a pair of motorcycles racing towards them, and then a handful of glowing playing cards sliced through the air, slamming into Juggernaut's chest, exploding on contact and sending him stumbling back a little.

"Hello, Remy," Tessa said evenly as Remy LeBeau leapt off his bike. "Hello, Lucas."

Lucas offered her a small, faint smile. "I see your hopes for a quiet afternoon were ruined yet again, Tessa."

"So it seems," Tessa agreed with a sigh.

"How is she fairing?" Lucas asked, nodding at Rogue.

"Fairly well," Tessa replied. "Considering Juggernaut is supposed to be unstoppable, she's putting up an impressive fight."

"I wouldn't expect any less from her," Lucas chuckled.

"Nor would I," Tessa smiled.

"Dis is all well an' good," Remy said impatiently, waving a hand at the fight between Juggernaut and his wife. "But don' y' t'ink dat we should give her a hand?"

"How much energy do you have stored up?" Tessa asked Lucas.

"Some," he replied grimly. "I'll have to pick up some more whenever I can."

"Remy, hit him with a few charges," Tessa ordered. "That should boost his energy level enough to keep him in the fight."

Wordlessly, Remy charged up a few cards and handed them to Lucas, who closed his fist around the glowing cards. A moment later he released them, and they fell lifeless and limp at his feet. "That should do it," Lucas confirmed.

"His torso is the best place for attack," Tessa advised. "While your powers will have little effect, they should keep him distracted on off balance enough for Rogue to get in some strong hits."

"Sounds like a plan t' me," Remy nodded, charging up another handful of cards. "Y' ready dere, Lucas?"

"Of course," Lucas replied, squeezing his hands into fists a few times. "I am always ready, LeBeau, you know that."

As they moved towards the battling powerhouses, Tessa reached out with her mind to warn Rogue about the incoming fire. She felt a flicker of acknowledgment from Rogue, and gave the boys a curt nod, signaling to start their attack.

Remy threw a half-dozen cards in quick succession right at Cain's chest, at the exact moment that Lucas hit the Juggernaut with a powerful blast of energy.

Not wasting a moment, Rogue flew hard at Cain's ankles, snapping his feet out from under him and sending him over backward with a huge, earth-shuddering crash that smashed the concrete under him.

"Ain't so much fun when yo' the one lickin' the ground, is it, sugah?" Rogue drawled smugly, floating out of the way as Cain's massive hand shot up to try and crush her. "Play nice, Cain," she warned. "Ah'd hate t' get rough wit' ya."

Remy laughed, wiping out his bo-staff from inside his duster. "Aww, but chere, dat's half de fun."

"Who the hell are you?" Cain demanded. monsieur

"Y' can call me Gambit," Remy smirked. "An' dat's my wife dat yo' hittin', m'sieu."

Before the Juggernaut could respond, Rogue kicked him in the leg, her foot smashing his knee, and hit him in the chest hard enough that it would have killed a lesser man. As it was, the blow only managed to knock the wind out of Cain for a moment, but it was all Lucas needed, and a blast of red-hot energy caught the mutant square in the chest, driving him back a few feet.

More, Tessa ordered telepathically. Keep hitting him with energy, Lucas. Remy, find something big and charge it.

The Juggernaut was pushing forward against Lucas' blast now, so Rogue moved in on him to give Lucas a break, letting him save up his energy. Tessa had a moment to admire the raw power flooding through Rogue's veins, as she backhanded Cain hard across the face, sending him crashing into the side of one of the law office.

"Dis work?" Remy's voice asked dryly, and Tessa turned to see him holding a large chunk of concrete that he'd picked up from the rubble.

"Indeed," she agreed, and he charged it until it was glowing like an ember, then tossed it directly into Cain's chest.

The explosion blew out one wall of the building and shattered the windows of the shops along the street. Tessa and Remy were far enough back that they didn't have to do more than duck their heads, but Rogue threw herself down on top of Lucas to shield him from the blast.

"He's down," Tessa informed Remy, using her powers to prod around in the smoke that had swallowed up the Juggernaut. "But not for long. You'd better get some more cars charged up quickly."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned her attention to Lucas, sending him a mental order to get out of there, and one to Rogue warning her that she was about to be confronted by a very pissed off Juggernaut.

Sure enough, a moment later Cain burst out of the billowing smoke, roaring angrily as he swung at Rogue with wild, furious slashes of his powerful arms. Rogue dodged each strike as best she could, blocking those that were unavoidable and putting in the occasional jab of her own.

Remy, Lucas, Tessa called. When Rogue pulls back, hit him as hard as you can.

She called for Rogue to withdraw a bit, and after a moment Rogue complied, snapping the Juggernaut's head to the side with a sharp kick, then floating out of the way so that the boys could attack, but stayed close enough that she could dart back in as soon as an opening showed itself.

Lucas poured an intense blast of energy straight into the Juggernaut's chest, and the massive behemoth slowed, but kept coming. He shoved his hands out in front of him, palms pushing against the energy plowing into him, and though Tessa could see the strain it took on him, he didn't seem to be tiring in the slightest as he bore down on Lucas.

Tessa was about to warn Lucas to move, when suddenly Rogue was there, flashing at Cain head down, and she hit him solidly, square in the shoulder, whipping him around so violently that when he slammed into the side of the brick building the wall literally crumbled.

Remy peppered Cain with exploding cards square in the eyes and chest as he tried to stand, forcing the Juggernaut to hold his hand over his face as the grenade-sized explosions went off in his face, one after the other.

"Get his feet!" Tessa called. "His balance is a weakness!"

Immediately Remy switched his aim, tossing one kinetically charged card after another at the Juggernaut's feet, causing the towering mutant to stumble back.

Moving so fast that even Tessa barely caught it, Rogue hit Juggernaut full in the chest, driving him to the ground with enough force to cause the entire French Quarter to tremble, and then continued to wail on him with powerhouse punches.

"I need some juice," Lucas grunted, and Remy tossed him a glowing card before tossing a few more at the Juggernaut. "Thanks," Lucas called, absorbing the energy and turning his powers against the Juggernaut.

Working in tandem, he and Remy bombarded Juggernaut with their powers, sending him staggering back a few steps. Rogue came in hard, but Cain saw her approaching and smashed her away, sending her tumbling like a ball across the street and into the lamp pole, which snapped under her, but brought her roll to a halt.

Status? Tessa called to Rogue, slightly concerned by the wave of black gauze she detected swimming at the edges of the other woman's consciousness.

Ah'm okay, Rogue replied with a mental groan. Jus' got a headache, that's all.

Tessa pressed her lips together in a thin line, but didn't argue. Take him from behind, she advised. He's focusing all of his attention on Lucas and Remy right now. You'll manage to surprise him.

Thanks, Rogue called, and at full speed she headed off over Cain's head, coming down and around behind him faster than he could turn, and hit him low and upward, square in the back of his legs.

A wince crossed Tessa's face, knowing that to Rogue it had felt as if she'd just run into a solid steel wall, the impact strong enough to knock the wind out of her, rattling her down to her bones.

But her blow did send the Juggernaut about ten feet into the air.

Now, Lucas, Tessa ordered, and the dark-skinned mutant shot a powerful blast of energy up at the Juggernaut, propelling him even higher.

Rogue landed next to her, trying to catch her breath. "Are you alright?" Tessa asked with concern.

"Yeah," she panted. "Jus' don' ask me t' run fo' a few seconds, huh? That's what Ah get fo' bein' so cocky 'bout bein' invulnerable."

"You're doing very well," Tessa assured her, eyes trained forward as Lucas and Remy scurried back out of the way of the falling Juggernaut, seeking refuge in the doorways of the shops lining the street. "As soon as you can, try to maneuver your way behind him. He seems to be favoring his right leg, I think you might have injured his left one."

Rogue snorted. "Ah hope so, fo' all the bruisin' Ah've got t' show fo' it." She took a few deep breaths, then offered Tessa a dry smile. "Wish me luck, sugah," she said, and then she was off, flying back to meet the Juggernaut as he fell, slamming her shoulder into his body hard enough to send them both sprawling onto the street.

"Remy," Tessa barked out. "Blast him."

"M' all out o' cards, p'tite," Remy replied with a frustrated sigh.

"Find what you can," Lucas advise as he fired a blast of energy at Juggernaut's back. "Improvise, LeBeau."

Tessa watched as Remy looked around hurriedly, eyes scanning the street for anything useful. he grinned, and jumped over the fallen streetlamp to make his way to the doorway of the hair salon, grabbing the umbrellas from the umbrella stand. "Dese work?"

"That will do," Tessa agreed.

"Dis should be interestin'," Remy chuckled as he hurried back into the street where Rogue was exchanging blows with Juggernaut. Charging the first of the umbrellas with kinetic energy, he glanced at Tessa. "Tell Marie t' get out o' dere, will y', Tess?"

With a nod, Tessa complied, sending out the telepathic order as Remy hurled the umbrella at the Juggernaut's chest like a spear.

It hit, tip first, and exploded.

Not waiting to see if his attack had done any damage, Remy charged up the other umbrellas and threw them one right after another.

One right after another they exploded on the Juggernaut's chest, and one step right after another Cain Marko kept coming at him.

"Merde," Remy cursed. "Doesn't anyt'ing slow dis homme down?"

"He ain't called unstoppable fo' nothin', sugah," Rogue drawled, floating overhead. "Tess, what can ya give us?"

Narrowing her eyes, Tessa focused on Juggernaut as Remy hurled the last of his umbrellas, waiting for just the right moment. The explosion of the kinetically charged umbrella caused Juggernaut to stumble a little, almost losing his balance, and a flicker shot through Tessa's mind.

Now! she ordered telepathically.

Lucas, being the closest, was the first to fire, a hot blast of glowing energy shooting forth from his hands. Remy was all out of cards, so he grabbed a few pieces of the rubble littering the street, charged them, and launched them at Juggernaut's chest with unerring accuracy.

Cain Marko stumbled back, raising his hands to cover his face as he pressed forward, surging against the endless barrage of energy being hurled at him.

But his fatal mistake was that moving his arms up had drastically limited his peripheral vision, and without warning Rogue swooped down behind him, snapping open the latches on his helmet before he could stop her. He jerked his arm up to deliver a vicious backhand to the side of her face that sent her flying, but her grip on his helmet was unyielding, and when she went crashing into the wall of the bank, so did his only defense against psychic attacks.

Cain had only a moment to realize he'd just been beaten before Tessa stepped forward, and laid him out with a quick, red-hot psionic bolt to the brain. Not strong enough to do any permanent damage, but enough to knock him out for a few hours.

Probing him once to be sure he was still breathing, Tessa turned back to her companions to asses their injuries. Rogue's hair was disheveled and her clothes had taken a beating, but being invulnerable meant she wasn't likely to be hurt. Lucas and Remy were both a little banged up, but their scrapes and bruises weren't serious.

"Well," Remy said, breathing hard, one arm clutching his bruised ribs. "Dat was fun."

"You scare me with your ideas of fun, LeBeau," Lucas grunted.

"Ya'll both scare me period," Rogue retorted with a grin. "But Ah hafta agree wit' Remy, that was fun."

Tessa hid a smile as Remy and Lucas gaped at her.

"What?" Rogue shrugged. "Ah thought it was fun."

"Chere," Remy chuckled, draping one arm around her shoulders, the other still clutching his side. "Y' are wit'out a doubt de craziest femme dat I ever met."

"Of course she is," Lucas snorted. "She married you, didn't she?"


A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, guys :) Hope you enjoyed the newest update! Yes, the X-men will be coming into things in the future, just not quite yet. He he, be patient, though, they are going to make an appearance sometime soon.