A/N: Sorry for the late update but I hope these chapters are worth it because it was fun to write 'em. Enjoy :)
Taking a Gambit
Logan and John Wraith find themselves in New Orleans. The streets are busy now in late March so they travel down Bourbon street slowly on their bikes.
"How in the hell are we supposed to find this guy in this?" Logan asks Wraith as they park their bikes.
"We ask the right people." John says with a smirk.
"How about them?" Logan says as he sees some shifty characters scooping out the crowds near by.
"It's a start." John says as Logan leads the way.
"Hey… you guys… I've gotta question to ask." Logan says as he approaches the young men hanging off of a lamp pole.
"Too bad… we aren't in an answerin' mood." One of the three says.
"Let me handle this…" John says to Logan. "How about now?" He adds holding up a fifty dollar bill. The speaker jumps down and stands before Logan and Wraith with his cocksure bravado apparent in his stance.
"Maybe… what's the question?" The young man says as he reaches for the bill.
"We're lookin' for someone… a man named Remy LeBeau. Do you know where we can find him?" John says as he pulls the bill back out of reach.
"Remy? Ah know him." The speaker says. "He's two blocks down at the club called 'Gambler's Luck'… at least that's where he is most nights anyways." John gives the young man a crumpled bill then he and Logan hurry away.
"Why the rush, John?" Logan asks as John pulls him ahead.
"He's not gonna be happy when he sees I gave him a single instead of a fifty." John replies then suddenly they disappear from the street and appear on a roof of a building on the opposite side of the street. They then teleport again this time on an open part of balcony of another building further down.
"Don't do that again." Logan says and blinks as he shakes his head.
"Sorry. I'm used to the disorienting effect." John says with a shoulder shrug. "But hey… at least I got us to the right place." He adds as he points a thumb at the neon sign on the wall behind them. They enter through the saloon-style doors and walk along the red carpet. This is a high class type of club. The bar is fancy as the bartender flips the bottles around and pours the drinks… a live band is playing in the back and there is a poker table beside the stage.
"There's our dude." John says as he nods to the table and Logan sees a shadowed figure in a fedora performing spectacular card tricks. He juggles a series of five cards spinning them up into the air then spinning them from his right hand to his left. "That's cool." John comments impressed by the display of control as he looks over his shades. Logan rolls his eyes but can't deny the skill of this Mutant called 'Gambit'.
"Okay, I'm gonna cover the back in case he decides to rabbit." John then says.
"I'm not gonna fight him." Logan says and John gives him a look over his shades.
"Right." John says slowly.
"What? Are you suggesting I get into fights with everybody I meet?" Logan asks incredulously. John smirks at Logan.
"Don't dogs kill cats?" John replies. Logan frowns.
"Just go and cover the back will ya." Logan huffs out and John walks away chuckling. Logan shakes his head and makes his way to the poker table. He looks to John who takes his position and nods at Logan.
"Are you Remy LeBeau?" Logan asks as he stops to stand before an empty seat across the table from the man performing card tricks. The man catches all the cards in his right hand and pauses.
"Do ah owe ya money?" He says and his voice is smooth with a touch of the Louisianan accent.
"No." Logan says slowly.
"Then Remy LeBeau, ah am." Remy says with an easy smile as he removes his fedora and sits it aside. He eyes Logan casually and gestures for him to take a seat.
"So what's the game tonight?" Logan asks making conversation.
"Seven card stud. Large blind's a hundred. Small blind's fifty. May ah cut ya in?" Remy says explaining the game and the table's betting standard tonight.
"What can I get for seventeen bucks?" Logan asks calmly as he keeps his eyes on Remy. The players at the table all laugh at this.
"Seventeen dollars?" Remy says to clarify and shakes his head as he continues to chuckle. "A cab ride home, perhaps." Logan shrugs it off as he watches Remy shuffle the cards. "So what brings ya to our fair city, sir?" Remy then asks.
"Victor Creed." Logan says seriously letting the name drop. He watches Remy very closely and notices the hesitation as the cards are dealt. He can hear his breath hitch for a split second as well.
"And who might that be?" Remy asks with a slightly nervous chuckle.
"The man I'm gonna kill." Logan says coolly and watches as Remy's face goes pale for a second then he hides it behind a smirk. Logan just continues to look at Remy with serious eyes. "He works with a man named Stryker… on an island. I just need to know where that island is."
"And why would ya think ah know that?" Remy says and Logan can hear his heart is racing inside his chest.
"Well… 'cause I know who you really are… Gambit." Logan says giving a small smirk as he leans forward. His dogtags slip out from the front of his shirt. "You're the guy who escaped the island… and you're the guy who's gonna take me back there." Remy stops dealing out the cards and sits the deck down before him with his right hand over it. His blue eyes stare hard at Logan.
"Those are mighty nice tags ya got on there, sir." Remy says as his voice goes cold. "The men who took me wore tags just like 'em." He then says in a dangerous whisper. His eyes flash with a magenta glow.
"Hey, now, bub! Listen to me-" Logan starts trying to diffuse the situation but it's too late. Gambit throws his right hand up and the cards flow with the motion. They flicker with a magenta glow as the kinetic energy is imparted upon them. The cards then zoom forward and impact Logan in the chest. The rapid hits knock him backwards with enough force to send him through the wall and outside to the street below.
"Ugh… that damned little punk." Logan moans as he shakes his head and rolls over. He then looks up as he catches a familiar scent… Victor! He stands immediately and growls as he sees Victor standing over John Wraith's still form. Victor smiles wickedly as he puts a syringe into a carrying case and stands slowly.
"Two years ah rotted in that hellhole… and ah ain't never goin' back." Gambit says menacingly as he walks up behind Logan.
"Victor!" Logan shouts after he elbows Gambit in the face. He then pops his metal claws and readies to fight.
"Ooo… shiny." Victor says as he eyes Logan's claws. "Tell me something, Jimmy." Victor then says as he looks Logan directly in the eye. "Do you even know how to kill me?" Victor then asks curiously.
"I'm gonna cut your goddamned head off… let's see if that works." Logan replies then rushes forward. Victor roars and leaps into action. He lunges at Logan but is caught in the chest by the new metal claws and stopped by Logan's new weight. He is slammed onto the ground and then thrown backwards.
"You're getting slow, old man." Logan taunts and Victor growls charging in again. Logan catches him with a claw to his swiping hand. Victor screams as the three metal blades cut deep into his hand sliding between the bones. Logan then stabs his left set of claws into Victor's chest and slams him against a dumpster.
"You son of a bitch." Logan hisses out as he glares at Victor's pained face. He twists his claws a little and Victor groans. "You're gonna die for what you did to her." Logan then pulls his claws from Victor's hand and readies to swipe at his throat… but Gambit slams into the ground behind him and the kinetic blast rips the two quarreling brothers apart. The windows shatter down the back alley raining shards of glass down upon the battle below as the force wave ripples outwards. Victor shakes his head and stands. He looks to Logan who is finding his feet again.
"Victor!" Logan shouts as Victor runs away. Logan starts after him but is struck in the face by Gambit's whirling staff. Logan staggers back as Gambit twirls his staff expertly around then jabs Logan in the stomach. Gambit stands a few yards away now from Logan… preventing him from pursuing Victor.
"That's a nice stick…" Logan says as he pops his claws on his right hand then retracts the outer two. "Dick." Gambit strikes out at Logan who swipes his single claw up splitting the staff in two. Gambit looks at his ruined staff for a brief moment then attacks with both halves. Logan blocks with his claws then gets knocked back by Gambit as a kinetic burst is unleashed at him. Gambit then hurries away using his severed staff pieces to climb the side of a brick building. He uses his kinetic powers to flip up onto a fire escape then vault across the alley to another. Logan rushes under that one and swipes the supports with his metal claws. They sever easily and the structure groans as it comes loose and starts to drop.
Logan slashes at the fire escape cutting it to smaller pieces and knocking them away. Gambit holds on for dear life at the top until the last stretch hits and falls over dropping Gambit until the paved alley street. Logan grabs him and slams him against the side of a building.
"Okay, shithead… here's the deal." Logan says heatedly as he grips the troublesome young man by his purple silk dress shirt. "You're gonna take me to this island… where I can kill Creed, Stryker, and pretty much everyone you hate in this world. Do you understand?" Logan says with a snarl then releases Gambit who puts his hands up in surrender.
"Are ya really gonna kill 'em all?" Gambit asks as he lowers his hands and eyes Logan carefully.
"As long as you get me there and stay out of the way… yeah." Logan says with a nod of his head as his temper cools.
"Okay then… follow me." Gambit says and Logan follows him.
Colonel Stryker is in the lab at his island base. He is eyeing the sleeping form of his son, Jason, as he holds the dosing syringe that is full of his special 'controlling drug' for his Mutant weapons. He then tilts Vanessa's head forward and puts a single drop in place at the nape of her neck. She settles and sighs then straightens.
"Colonel." General Munson says from a distance a ways.
"General?" Stryker says as he walks away from his sedated son with Vanessa and Emma following close behind.
"Is this Weapon Eleven?" General Munson asks as he lifts a white sheet and looks under it at the sedated man with his lips sewn shut.
"Yes… all of their strengths, none of their weaknesses." Stryker says as he and his entourage approach. "Ms. Pyre here provided the perfect foundation for Weapon XI's creation. Her ability to absorb the powers of other Mutants and constitute it into her own DNA permanently made this possible." Stryker adds as he places a hand upon the blank faced woman's shoulder.
"You really hate them, don't you?" General Munson asks as he looks up at Stryker who chuckles.
"I asked someone else that same question six years ago." Stryker starts. "The answer for me is the same as it was for Trask… no… I don't hate them. After twenty years of working with them, studying them… I just know what they can do as well as what they are capable of." Stryker sighs then looks Munson in the eye. "We can win this war, General, before it even starts and save countless lives in the process. Pre-emptive action is the only option we have, General.
"The days of our country sitting idly by on the sidelines are over. We need to take this fight to our enemy before they decide to bring it to us. Some Mutants have tried already back in '73." Stryker finishes and stands there watching Munson lower the sheet. He then notices Emma start to blink in confusion, so Stryker tilts her head forward and doses her into compliance once more.
"I know about the attack on the White House, Colonel Stryker. That's one of the very reasons the government has founded your research here." Munson then sighs before continuing. "I admire your passion as well… I really do."
"Thank you, General." Stryker says with a smile.
"But…" Munson says and gives a pointed look to Stryker. "This is as far as it goes, I'm afraid." Stryker looks at Munson with some puzzlement.
"Weapon X was just a hiccup. A mistake that is being corrected-"
"You control these women with this miracle drug… which I recently learned was developed from your son… who is a Mutant… and who is also responsible for the death of your wife. Stryker goes ridged as his mask slams into place.
"That…" Stryker says harshly at first then pauses to correct his tone to a smoother one. "That has nothing to do with my work here." Stryker says calmly.
"Bullshit." Munson says hard as he eyes Stryker closely. "You're too close to this, so I'm shutting you down, Bill."
"Okay… you're right…" Stryker says exasperatedly as he shakes his head and gives a sad smile. "I won't lie to you, General. My son did bring the problem home for me… but I took an oath to protect the American people…" He starts then looks at Vanessa and nods. "From every threat… both foreign… and domestic." Vanessa then strides forward and grabs General Munson by the throat. Her fingernails lengthen and pierce into his flesh.
"They are weapons, General." Stryker then says coolly. "And we either use them… or they destroy us." General Munson gargles as Vanessa lifts him easily and squeezes her hand digging her claws deeper into his throat until the light leaves his eyes. She then drops his body upon the floor and stares blankly down at it.
Jean watches the memories of this time flow through both Logan's mind and this woman, Vanessa Pyre's. The woman is still alive and living in New York state. She is alone living out in the countryside of some upstate rural area.
'This isn't the first time you've scanned my memories.' Vanessa says telepathically to Jean. 'Who are you?'
'No one of consequence.' Jean replies.
'That's a lie. I know it because I knew you'd seek me out… Jean Grey.' Vanessa says calmly. Jean freezes hoping that will hide her from this strange woman.
'Maybe I should be asking you who you are?' Jean then says. She can hear Vanessa's mental chuckle at that statement.
'I'm just another lost soul trying to survive in this crazy world.' Vanessa says. 'But you… you are dead yet remain. Why is that I wonder?' Jean then retreats from Vanessa and settles back down in Logan's subconscious. She shuffles through his memories once more to find where she left off with him. Ms. Vanessa Pyre scares her yet fascinates as well… Jean will stay away for now, but even she knows it won't be long until she seeks out the strange woman once more.