Running To Catch Up by Nico Hi all. This is a long-coming continuation of my first X-Men Evolution piece, Hot Pursuit. If you haven't read it, I suggest doing so before you read this one. You can find it on my webpage (http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/8277/Gambit/risingsun.html), or at fanfiction.net, under LadyLyte. Characters are property of Marvel Comics and/or Fox Kids Network. I profit only from the sheer enjoyment of writing fanfiction in order to escape the drudgery of a job in retail. Rated PG-13 Synopsis: Gambit and Rogue are attacked by a gang of mutants while on a "date". Again, this is not a romantic piece, because I don't particularly care to reread my stories and cause myself to vomit. On that pleasant note... Running to Catch Up With a flick of his wrist, he sent the card spinning toward the target. It flew with a sharp whining noise, trailing a comet¡¦-tail blaze of reddish-pink energy behind it. The strange projectile made contact with the target, and for an instant, the energy from the card seemed to transfer into the target before it detonated with the force of a small bomb. Another target, a silver, grapefruit-sized orb, zoomed past the boy¡¦ head. He ducked, and the object, missing its mark, crashed to the ground and exploded. When the second orb was destroyed, three more deployed from the steel walls with sharp, hissing pops. Anticipating their movements, the boy twirled his weapon, a staff, at his side. As the first orb approached, he swung his staff and with a crack, sent it flying into the next orb. The last and final orb seemed dead on target, but with an amazing feat of agility, the boy leapt into the air and flipped as the attacking orb zipped beneath him. As he landed, he swung the staff again, and sent the orb flying up towards the ceiling. The four on-lookers flinched as the orb struck the mirrored window and exploded. They were up in an observatory, with a large computer console before them. The flickering of the console¡¦ lights slowly dimmed and blinked off as the Danger Room session came to a close. The smoke from the explosion cleared, allowing the quartet to see the enormous room below. The simulation, which had been projected by the Danger Room computer, Cerebro, was just fading out. In the center of the room was a young man with chin-length brown hair and an angular form. He was a tall, with a narrow face and prominent cheekbones, which gave his eyes a slight up-tilt. That, combined with the olive tone of his skin, bespoke of a mixed heritage. Despite the height of the observatory, his eyes could still be seen as red on black, slightly glowing from the recent use of his mutant powers. ¡¦ery good, Remy,¡¦
said the man known as Professor X, who was seated in a wheelchair before
the computer console. ¡¦hat will be all for today.¡¦/font>
Remy gave him a
mock salute, then curtsied to the others standing in the observatory.
With a final twirl of his staff, he turned and left the Danger Room.
When the doors hissed shut behind the departing figure, Professor Xavier
turned to the other three adults in the room.
¡¦e made better
time on the previous runs,¡¦commented a blue-furred man, as he adjusted
his glasses on his broad nose.
¡¦hat¡¦ ¡¦ause
he was playin¡¦with us this time, Hank,¡¦replied the shorter man with
his gruff voice.
¡¦es,¡¦the Professor
agreed. ¡¦e did seem to be enjoying himself.¡¦/font>
¡¦s it is,¡¦said
the last of the group, a tall African-American woman with long white
hair, ¡¦e all ready seems to be in full control of his powers, and beyond
many of the other students in that aspect.¡¦/font>
¡¦rue, Storm,¡¦
Xavier replied, holding his chin in his hand in contemplation. ¡¦e has
been trained.¡¦/font>
¡¦rained?¡¦Hank
said. ¡¦y whom?¡¦/font>
¡¦ood question,¡¦
Wolverine said. ¡¦eems he knows a bit of martial arts, combined with
acrobatics, and a little down-and-dirty street fighting thrown in.¡¦/font>
¡¦nd yet, he¡¦
only been at the Institute for a few weeks, and has only practiced in
the Danger Room alone,¡¦continued Professor X. ¡¦t would be interesting
to know where he¡¦ accumulated this fighting knowledge, along with how
he has learned to use and control his mutant abilities. But the most
probing question on my mind is ¡¦hy¡¦has he been trained?¡¦/font>
¡¦ am sure you
could ask him, Professor,¡¦said Storm. ¡¦ut the child is hardly forthcoming
with information.¡¦/font>
¡¦o you suspect
he was sent here?¡¦asked Hank, also known as The Beast. ¡¦y Mystique,
perhaps?¡¦Beast had not been at the Institute during the time when Mystique
had been one of the X-Men¡¦ most formidable enemies, but when he arrived
at the Institute, the others had quickly filled him in on the true identity
of the ex-principal, Raven Darkholme.
¡¦oubtful,¡¦replied
the professor. ¡¦f he was sent to infiltrate the X-Men, you would think
he would be doing better to hide his knowledge. I have been in contact
with his adoptive father, a Doctor Nathan Essex, since Remy¡¦ arrival.
The man is greatly interested in mutant genetics, and also quite an
intimidating individual. Perhaps it was he who guided his ¡¦ambit¡¦in
the use of his powers.¡¦/font>
¡¦r maybe the kid¡¦
just a show-off,¡¦grumbled Wolverine.
Professor Xavier
leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips. ¡¦erhaps
Logan, since Remy seems more advanced than the other students, you wouldn¡¦
mind taking him on exclusively.¡¦/font>
¡¦unh?¡¦was Logan¡¦
well-phrased reply.
¡¦es,¡¦said Storm
good-naturedly. ¡¦ can see how he may flourish under your particular
tutelage.¡¦/font>
¡¦orget it,¡¦Logan
said. ¡¦e¡¦l do well enough with the other kids. I don¡¦ need some brat
tagging along at my heels.¡¦With that, he turned and prowled out of
the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
There were six
of them seated at the restaurant, their hands slightly sticking to the
worn red-checked vinyl tablecloth. They had pushed two of the smaller
tables together, and pulled up some of the diner chairs. The restaurant
was a popular hangout for the students of Bayville High School. Harry¡¦
Hideaway offered the best, and largest, pizzas in town. Scott Summers,
the eldest of the group, was seated at one end of the table, laughing
and joking with the person to his right, Kurt Wagner. Across from Kurt,
and on the opposite side of Scott was Kitty Pryde, who was currently
kicking Kurt in the shins in retaliation for a crude remark he had made.
Evan Daniels was seated at Kitty¡¦ left, and was chowing down on an
enormous slice of pizza. At the opposite end from Scott, was Jean, who
had made a point of sitting as far away from Scott as possible. They
weren¡¦ talking to one another for some unknown transgression. Jean
was trying to engage Rogue, the last member of the group, in a conversation
about the upcoming Homecoming dance. Rogue¡¦ chair was scooted slightly
back from the table, as if she hadn¡¦ fully committed to sitting with
the others quite yet.
¡¦o where¡¦ the
new kid?¡¦asked Kurt suddenly.
¡¦e told me that
he had some stuff to do,¡¦Scott replied somewhat coolly, having extended
the hand of friendship to the new teen, only to have it ignored.
¡¦e¡¦ a totally
buff hottie,¡¦Kitty said, smiling sweetly at Kurt as she sipped her
diet Sprite. ¡¦f you like those bad-boy, long-hair, leather-jacket types.¡¦
Kurt made a face
at Kitty. ¡¦f wearing a leather jacket all the time makes you a buff
hottieòî Kurt said. ¡¦ prefer to wash my clothes, danke!¡¦
¡¦ hadn¡¦ noticed,¡¦
said Scott, leaning away from Kurt with a pained look on his face.
This comment started
another mock fight between the pair.
¡¦an, this music
is lame!¡¦announced Kitty in a voice loud enough to be heard over the
talking of the many other kids in the restaurant. She pointedly glared
at the jukebox on the opposite side of the room.
¡¦h¡¦l put somethin¡¦
else on,¡¦said Rogue, interrupting Jean in mid-sentence. ¡¦ou guys got
any change?¡¦
Kurt turned his
pockets inside out to show they were empty. Kitty rifled around in her
small purse, which was bulging at the seams because of all the junk
she had shoved into it. Evan looked up from his pizza, a string of cheese
dangling from his lip, as he shook his head ¡¦o¡¦
¡¦ere you go,¡¦
said Scott, extending his hand.
After a moment
of hesitation, Rogue held out her hand as Scott dropped several quarters
into her gloved palm. ¡¦hanks,¡¦she mumbled before starting off towards
the jukebox.
As Rogue stood
before the glowing box, she felt her ears grow hot. She instantly regretted
offering to change the music on the jukebox, because by now, everyone
in the restaurant would be staring at her. She considered the alternative:
listening to Jean list every dress color, from ¡¦hampagne¡¦to ¡¦bony¡¦
and decided public humiliation would be better. She popped in a few
quarters and her finger trailed down the list of songs before stopping
on a favorite of hers by Garbage. She paused before selecting. ¡¦ould
the others like it?¡¦she thought to herself.
¡¦hatcha wanna
listen to, hunh, Rogue?¡¦came a snide voice at her shoulder.
Rogue recognized
the voice without having to turn around. A feeling of dread crept over
her.
¡¦o away, Lance,¡¦
Rogue grumbled under her breath.
¡¦aybe you like
this one!¡¦Lance Alvers, otherwise known as Avalanche, announced before
poking a few keys.
Suddenly, Billy
Ray Cyrus¡¦voice emitted from the speakers, begging her not to break
his ¡¦chy Breaky¡¦heart. ¡¦emind you of home, hunh?¡¦Lance continued
as Rogue turned on him. He performed a little two-step while singing
in a mock southern accent. ¡¦ull, you c¡¦ tell mah haurt, mah achy breaky
haurt¡¦¡¦/font>
A few kids seated
nearby giggled. Rogue¡¦ cheeks turned red.
¡¦ey, is there
a problem here?¡¦asked Scott, as he approached Lance and Rogue.
¡¦h look, here
comes Summers. Your knight in shining armor,¡¦said Lance to Rogue.
¡¦hut up,¡¦said
Rogue.
¡¦ think you¡¦
better leave her alone,¡¦said Scott.
Lance sniggered.
Rogue ground her teeth. ¡¦ook,¡¦she said, rounding on Scott. ¡¦h don¡¦
need you to rescue me, okay?¡¦
¡¦ey, Rogue, I
know that. I just---.¡¦/font>
¡¦h gotta go,¡¦
Rogue said. ¡¦ater.¡¦She turned on her heel and marched out of the restaurant,
the little bell above the door announcing her departure.
¡¦eal smooth, Cyke,¡¦
said Lance snidely. Then, recognizing the dark look on Scott¡¦ face,
decided to leave as well.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wolverine was grumbling
to himself as he worked in the driveway. A noise inside the engine of
his motorcycle (that only he could hear), had been bothering him, so
he set himself to taking the bike apart and putting it back together.
Night was drawing near, stretching shadows across the drive. It was
still warm outside, but a cool breeze was tickling at his forearms,
which were exposed by the rolled up sleeves of his grease-stained flannel
shirt. A scuffing sound of feet on the cement made him look up and turn
around.
Remy¡¦ long shadow
fell just short of Logan. He stood a few feet away, at the edge of the
driveway, as he watched Wolverine with his strange eyes.
¡¦hat?¡¦Logan said
to him. ¡¦ou want somethin¡¦¡¦/font>
¡¦ice bike,¡¦he
replied. Logan¡¦ eyebrows raised. They were the first words Gambit had
spoken to him since his arrival.
¡¦h yeah?¡¦Logan
said, turning back to his work.
¡¦ had a bike like
that once,¡¦Gambit continued.
¡¦eally now?¡¦Logan
replied.
¡¦up,¡¦Gambit said
finally.
Logan grunted.
¡¦ou¡¦e goin¡¦to
strip out that bolt, ya know.¡¦/font>
¡¦aybe if little
know-it-alls weren¡¦ runnin¡¦their mouths, I could concentrate,¡¦Wolverine
grumbled, and sure enough, the next turn of his wrench rounded the corners
of the nut. ¡¦ammit,¡¦he said, then turning to Gambit added: ¡¦ou didn¡¦
hear that.¡¦/font>
The boy gave a
snort and a wry smile. He walked over to Wolverine and crouched beside
the bike. Wolverine could smell the distinctive scent of cigarettes
as Remy approached. ¡¦ere,¡¦he said, and gripped the nut with his forefinger
and thumb. There was a faint whining noise Wolverine recognized from
when Gambit had ignited his playing cards with his mutant powers. Logan
was about to protest, knowing full well the explosive nature of Gambit¡¦
powers, when the nut gave a rusty squeak and twisted under Remy¡¦ grip.
Remy tightened
the bolt and leaned back. ¡¦ade the atoms do a little jig, and loosens
the bolt a bit,¡¦he offered in explanation.
Wolverine studied
the boy for a moment. ¡¦ince yer talkative all of a sudden, maybe you¡¦
like t¡¦ell me how you come to know Sabretooth?¡¦/font>
Gambit¡¦ expression
remained neutral, but something flickered in his eyes. He stood and
reached into the pocket of his jacket. Wolverine stood as well as Gambit
put on a pair of sunglasses.
¡¦an¡¦ say I know
him, personally,¡¦Gambit replied. ¡¦o what¡¦ he to you?¡¦/font>
¡¦now him from
way back,¡¦Wolverine said coolly.
Remy took a small
step back, a guarded look on his face.
Wolverine turned
back to his bike. ¡¦ell, that seems to do it for the day,¡¦he said,
grabbing a rag and wiping down the motorcycle. ¡¦ank¡¦ almost empty,
though,¡¦he turned to Remy and reached in his pocket. ¡¦ake¡¦r in t¡¦own
for me, will ya, and fill her up.¡¦He tossed Gambit the keys which the
boy snatched easily from the air.
¡¦o you said you
had one of these?¡¦he continued, as Remy approached the bike. ¡¦idn¡¦
bring it with you, then?¡¦/font>
¡¦ouldn¡¦,¡¦Remy
said, as he straddled the seat.
Wolverine backed
up as Gambit turned on the engine. ¡¦hy¡¦ that?¡¦/font>
¡¦¡¦t the bottom
of a lake.¡¦/font>
Wolverine opened
his mouth to reply, instantly concerned for his motorcycle¡¦ welfare.
¡¦ey, now, wait a minute.¡¦/font>
¡¦e right back!¡¦
Remy said, revving the engine loudly. With that, he sped off, the back
tire squeaking on the pavement.
Wolverine almost
took off after him, but caught himself when he saw the Professor sitting
before his office window smiling at him. Saving what little dignity
he had left, Wolverine gathered up his tools and strode off to the garage.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rogue spotted him
from across the street. He was backlit by the light from the gas-station
window; the colorful light threw harsh shadows across his face. She
strode over to the gas station, stopping just short of the glow of the
lights.
¡¦hat do you think
you¡¦e doin¡¦¡¦she said angrily.
Remy tore his eyes
away from the digital readout on the fuel pump and looked over at her,
a bemused expression on his face. ¡¦¡¦ gettin¡¦jiggy wit¡¦it,¡¦he said
sarcastically. ¡¦hat does it look like I¡¦ doin¡¦¡¦
Rogue walked over
to him, and clamped her hand down on his wrist. ¡¦hat bike ain¡¦ yours,¡¦
she said. ¡¦nd Ah¡¦ not about to let you take off with it.¡¦/font>
¡¦ see my reputation
proceeds me,¡¦he said, smiling. ¡¦or your information, the bike was
loaned to me, proper like.¡¦/font>
¡¦ow Ah know yoah
lyin¡¦¡¦Rogue snapped. ¡¦ogan would never let anyone ride his bike.¡¦/font>
Remy laughed and
returned the nozzle to the fuel pump. ¡¦aybe he¡¦ got a crush on me,¡¦
he said. ¡¦nyway, I¡¦e got to go pay. Wait right here.¡¦
Rogue stood beside
the motorcycle, her mouth slightly open as she watched Remy walk into
the convenience store, smile and flirt the young female clerk behind
the counter, and return to the bike while sliding a pack of cigarettes
into his coat pocket. ¡¦o you need a ride or what?¡¦/font>
Rogue closed her
mouth. ¡¦eah, right, and get busted with Logan¡¦ bike? Ah¡¦l walk, thanks.¡¦
She turned to go when she stopped short. On the other side of the street
was Lance Alvers, and the unmistakable form of Fred Dukes.
¡¦riends of yours?¡¦
Remy asked.
¡¦ardly,¡¦she replied.
¡¦n second thought, Ah could use a ride.¡¦/font>
¡¦ure. Here, take
this,¡¦Remy said, handing her a helmet. ¡¦here¡¦ only one, but I¡¦ never
forgive myself if you smashed your perty head open like a melon.¡¦/font>
She took it from
him uncertainly. Lance and Fred were fast approaching. She fit the helmet
over her head, and tightened the chinstrap. Remy had all ready mounted
the bike and was beckoning her to sit behind him. ¡¦ don¡¦ have cooties,¡¦
he said with a grin. Rogue straddled the bike seat, suddenly closer
to Remy than she¡¦ have liked. His backside warmed the inside of her
legs and as she leaned forward, she could smell cigarettes mingled with
the scent of his shampoo.
¡¦old on,¡¦he said,
and she cautiously put her hands on his waist. The motorcycle rumbled
to life and jolted forward.
Remy turned the
bike around the fuel pumps and came to a halt in front of Lance and
Fred, who were looking at Remy and Rogue in a confused sort of way.
Remy gave them a jaunty wave and a smile before peeling out and leaving
them in a fog of exhaust.
Rogue watched them
coughing and smiled to herself as they sped away. Her smile faded as
she realized they were heading away from the Institute.
¡¦here are you
goin¡¦¡¦she asked loudly. ¡¦he Institute is that way.¡¦/font>
¡¦ust takin¡¦her
for a test drive,¡¦Remy replied. ¡¦o what¡¦ there t¡¦o in this Podunk
town anyway? Besides eatin¡¦pizza and hangin¡¦out wit¡¦the Brady¡¦?¡¦/font>
¡¦h dunno,¡¦Rogue
said. ¡¦here¡¦ uhm, a rec center or somethin¡¦by the school.¡¦/font>
¡¦ell, gosh-golly,
gee, that sounds swell!¡¦he retorted sarcastically. ¡¦ow far¡¦ the city?¡¦/font>
¡¦out a half-hour,
why?¡¦she said suspiciously.
¡¦ell, that ain¡¦
far at all. No point hangin¡¦out here, then.¡¦/font>
¡¦ey! We can¡¦
go there. We gotta ask permission first.¡¦/font>
¡¦ell, Daisy Sue,
if you¡¦e gonna be such a downer, I can always drop you off here.¡¦He
came to an abrupt halt right in front of Harry¡¦ Hideaway. Rogue could
see Scott and Jean through the window, apparently on speaking terms
again. Everyone inside looked like they were having a good time. Kurt
looked up from his pizza-slice and saw Gambit and Rogue on the motorcycle.
His eyes widened with shock and he pointed. Kitty turned in her seat
to stare. Jean and Scott both looked surprised and disapproving at the
same time.
¡¦orget it, let¡¦
just go,¡¦Rogue said. ¡¦ou¡¦e right, the city is pretty close by.¡¦/font>
He turned in the
seat and smiled over his shoulder at her. He winked at her and she found
herself smiling again. They both looked through the window of Harry¡¦
and gave ¡¦he gang¡¦a farewell wave. Then the bike¡¦ engine roared and
they sped off towards the city.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the initial
fear of falling off had faded, Rogue found that she was really enjoying
herself. Remy guided the bike through the cars, gliding smoothly over
the pavement like a fish through water. He changed lanes and left the
main roads, traveling down streets that had less traffic. Soon they
were free and alone on the road, with the night around them; the darkness
broken periodically by yellow-hued street lights. Rogue found that the
loud rumbling of the motorcycle¡¦ engine combined with the numb tingling
in her legs had emptied her mind of thoughts. The school, the Institute,
and the X-Men suddenly seemed very distant and unimportant. She was
glad that she wore her black jeans and her long sleeved shirt, instead
of the skirts she usually preferred. The night wind on her face was
cool, but her hands, which were resting on Gambit¡¦ hips, were warm.
Up ahead, the sight
of the city slowly hove into view. Rogue lifted the visor on the helmet
to get a better view. Being from a very rural area, she hadn¡¦ had opportunities
to see any cities until she had come to New York. Seeing the city up
ahead, with its immense glittering towers, sent a strange sort of thrill
inside her. She found herself leaning forward in anticipation of reaching
their destination.
Remy darted a quick
look over his shoulder. ¡¦o how y¡¦oin¡¦¡¦he asked with a smile.
¡¦h wish Ah knew
where we were goin,¡¦she replied.
¡¦here¡¦ a place
I know, I think you¡¦l like it,¡¦Remy said.
¡¦ou¡¦e been to
New York before?¡¦/font>
¡¦oupla times,¡¦
he replied. Remy glanced in the rearview mirror on the handle of the
bike. ¡¦omethin¡¦ comin¡¦up on us, fast,¡¦he said, mostly to himself.
Rogue turned in
her seat to look on the road behind them. Five independent headlights
were gaining on them. Remy guided the bike into the right-most lane
to get out of their way. A brightly painted motorcycle whined past them,
moving so fast, it seemed as if the Harley were at a standstill. A second
bike pulled up even with them. A large man with a shaven head leered
at them, and the girl on the back of the bike smirked. Then they too
sped off with a burst of speed.
¡¦hat was that
all about?¡¦Rogue asked herself. Three more bikes flew past, the last
one, carrying a young woman riding solo, swerved suddenly in front of
Gambit. He braked, and dodged out of the way. Rogue found herself clinging
to Gambit¡¦ back.
¡¦ut it out, you
jerks!¡¦she yelled, but her voice was swallowed up by the sound of the
bike¡¦ engine. The five bikes had slowed down, and had spaced themselves
out to block the road ahead. Three of them slowed further, so that two
were riding just behind the Harley, and one astride them.
¡¦ain¡¦ you outrun
them?¡¦Rogue asked Remy.
¡¦ Harley outrun
a crotch-rocket? I doubt it,¡¦he replied. Just then, the big man they
had seen earlier feinted at them, causing Remy to swerve away into the
berm. He hit the brakes and came to a halt, spraying up gravel in his
wake. The five other bikes sped along, but their tail lights flashed
as they all hit their brakes. ¡¦et¡¦ get out of here,¡¦Remy said as
he spun the bike around. They were soon speeding in the opposite direction,
against the flow of traffic.
¡¦re you crazy?¡¦
Rogue shrieked as a car zipped past, it¡¦ horn blaring. He did not answer
as he drove into the high-speed lane and pulled the bike sharply to
the right into the median. She risked a glance behind and saw the other
bikes gaining on them. With a sudden roar of the engine, Remy turned
the bike around again, and headed back towards the city¡¦nd their pursuers.
¡¦h mah gawd,¡¦
Rogue moaned, as she hid her face against his jacket. She could hear
the high pitched whine of the motorcycles¡¦engines growing closer until
it was a loud buzz in her ears. Then, just as suddenly, they were gone.
Rogue looked up and looked back. Remy had driven straight through their
ranks, causing them to scatter. One of the bikes let up a blue stream
of smoke as it hit its brakes with a screech.
Her heart leapt.
They had evaded their pursuers. She could see Gambit¡¦ face reflected
in the rear view, but he was not smiling. He was frowning down at the
bike, looking anxious.
¡¦hat¡¦ wrong?¡¦
Rogue asked, but then she heard it too. A clanking sound from inside
the bike¡¦ engine. The bike was slowing, then the engine cut, and they
rolled to a halt in the berm.
¡¦his is bad,¡¦
Remy said, trying to kick the engine back to life. ¡¦olverine just fixed
this thing today¡¦ don¡¦ know what¡¦ wrong.¡¦/font>
Rogue was gnawing
her lip. Five headlights had reappeared on the horizon. ¡¦hat are we
gonna do?¡¦she asked.
He gave a resigned
sigh and climbed off the bike. ¡¦ guess we¡¦l have t¡¦pen a can of whupass.¡¦
He removed a package of playing cards from his coat pocket. ¡¦o which
one are you? The one who can move things with her mind?¡¦/font>
She gave him an
indignant look. ¡¦o,¡¦she snapped. ¡¦ou¡¦e thinkin¡¦of Jean.¡¦/font>
¡¦hoot bones, then,
do you?¡¦/font>
¡¦hat¡¦ Evan, and
he¡¦ not even a girl!¡¦/font>
¡¦h, right. Well,
so long¡¦ you¡¦e not the one who can walk through walls, I think we¡¦l
be all right.¡¦/font>
¡¦hanks for the
vote of confidence,¡¦Rogue replied sarcastically as she hopped off the
bike.
Their pursuers
grew steadily closer and finally surrounded them. They blinked in the
brightness of the bikes¡¦headlights, unable to see the riders. Six people
dismounted from the bikes, their darkened forms moved forward at the
same time. Rogue recognized the two riders that had ridden astride them.
Off of his bike, the man was larger than all the rest, standing nearly
seven feet tall. He was broad, with a shaven head and a sandy-colored
goatee. His arms were bare and heavily muscled. Standing beside him
was a girl with green and white striped hair pulled into a high ponytail.
She was still wearing a smirk on her face.
Two others walked
into the circle of light. One was a tall scrawny kid with a lean, almost
haggard face with lanky white hair pulled into a stubby ponytail at
the nape of his neck. The second was sharp featured, almost planar,
as if he had been chiseled out of crystal. Another stepped forward;
he was a lean and handsome Korean boy, who was wearing large goggle-like
glasses on his face. Lastly, a girl strode forward, her heeled boots
clicking on the pavement. She would have been pretty if her face weren¡¦
contorted into a wicked grin. Her eyes and lips were a shocking bright
green. Her curly hair, which was the same color, was closely cropped
to her head.
¡¦e like your bike,¡¦
said the big man in a rough and slow voice.
¡¦e like your girl
too,¡¦chirruped the white-haired boy in a squeaky voice.
Remy was standing
askance, his hand on his hip and his head tilted to the side. He was
wearing his sunglasses again, and a faint smile on his lips. ¡¦he bike
ain¡¦ mine,¡¦he replied. ¡¦nd the girl¡¦ borrowed too.¡¦
Rogue tore her
eyes away from the gang long enough to scowl at Gambit.
¡¦hose were some
nice moves,¡¦said the green-haired woman, who was standing closest to
them.
¡¦here, that was
nothin¡¦¡¦he replied. ¡¦¡¦e got others that could make your toes curl.¡¦/font>
The girl smiled
at him, a gleam in her eye.
¡¦ike what I did
to your bike?¡¦piped up the Asian boy, as he adjusted his glasses.
Rogue frowned at
him. ¡¦hat d¡¦ou mean?¡¦/font>
¡¦eans I stopped
it,¡¦he said, his manner of speaking was quick and clipped. ¡¦ame¡¦
Scrambler. Got a knack for machinery. See,¡¦he said, pointing at the
Harley. ¡¦n, off, on, off, onòî he said, and the bike rumbled to life,
then shut off repeatedly.
Rogue glanced at
Gambit, whose face had gone cold. Nervous panic was flooding her. They
weren¡¦ just facing a gang, but a gang of mutants.
¡¦e next!¡¦cried
the skinny kid with the white hair. ¡¦iptide!¡¦he proclaimed and instantly
a small cyclone swirled at his feet before swallowing him up. Rogue
and Gambit ducked their heads as debris flew about. Then the roar of
the wind died and a few dead leaves scampered away down the road. ¡¦aa-daa!¡¦
Riptide said proudly.
¡¦ really hope
y¡¦ll aren¡¦ going to introduce yerselves one by one and perform a little
dance,¡¦Rogue said. ú¯Cause this could take awhile.¡¦/font>
¡¦f that¡¦ the
way you want it then,¡¦said the green-haired girl. ¡¦how¡¦ over,¡¦she
reached her hand up and made a fist. The street light overhead exploded
with a shower of sparks, and the pole bent over. It reached for Rogue
like an enormous steel tentacle. She ducked the swinging arm and rolled
across the pavement out of its reach. There was a sudden blast of wind
and Rogue found she was being dragged along the pavement on her stomach,
sucked toward a whirlwind of flying debris. Amidst the tornado, she
could make out the form of Riptide, who was cackling maniacally and
screaming, ¡¦ome to poppa!¡¦/font>
A flying red comet
zoomed overhead, followed by an explosion. Instantly, the cyclone ceased.
Before her was a rather large hole in the pavement. On the opposite
side was Riptide, who lay stunned. Rogue looked back to see Gambit,
holding a playing card in one hand as if it were a knife.
Two other teens
were approaching Gambit: Scrambler and the kid with sharp features.
The latter had seemingly changed, for now instead of skin, he appeared
to be made out of iridescent crystal. Gambit was backing away from the
pair, the card held out before him as he waited for them to attack.
Rogue was climbing to her feet when a big arm came down around her and
squeezed.
¡¦ot ya, cutie,¡¦
said the big man. ¡¦owzabout a kiss?¡¦/font>
¡¦ike-y!¡¦shrieked
the girl with the ponytail. ¡¦ou¡¦e such a jerk!¡¦She aimed a punch
at his shoulder, but came a foot short, and slapped him ineffectually
on the forearm.
He laughed at her.
¡¦ was only kiddin¡¦ Vertigo,¡¦he said, as he squeezed Rogue tighter.
¡¦et go a me, you
moron!¡¦Rogue cried, kicking out and wriggling in his grip. Her left
hand clamped onto the fingers of her right glove and she pulled. Mikey
was still taunting his girlfriend Vertigo, dangling Rogue over his arm.
Their banter stopped when Rogue¡¦ bare hand gripped Mikey¡¦ wrist. He
let out a yowl of surprise, and tossed Rogue away like a rag doll. She
hit the pavement forcefully, but to her amazement, was unhurt. Blockbuster,
she had learned his name now from absorbing his thoughts, took a staggering
step and fell forward. Vertigo shrieked, clapping her hands to the sides
of her face in shock.
A sudden flare
of bright light caught her attention. The boy made of crystal was glowing
with an inner light. Remy had stumbled away, his hand covering his eyes.
The other hand released the card and it fluttered to the ground. The
two attackers stared at it for a moment, bewildered. Then the card detonated
and they flew backwards.
Rogue turned in
a circle. Vertigo was standing over Blockbuster, trying to get him to
stand. But there was no sign of the green-haired girl.
¡¦ooking for me?¡¦
her voice asked.
Rogue looked up.
Hovering a few feet above her was the girl. Rogue¡¦ jaw dropped. The
girl was flying. She pointed downward, and Rogue looked down at the
street. The ground was rumbling and the pavement cracked. Suddenly,
a pipe burst from the earth, writhing like something alive. Rogue was
knocked off her feet, and she scrambled away. The pipe came down on
her, its opening like a hungry mouth as it swallowed her. She lashed
out, and her fist punched straight through the metal.
¡¦ow,¡¦Rogue said,
looking at her hand which was unscathed despite punching straight through
the pipe. She grabbed at the opening she¡¦ made with her fist and pulled
the pipe apart and jumped free.
The green haired
girl, who apparently controlled the metal pipe, was looking at her in
amazement. She looked back at Blockbuster, who was still unconscious,
then back at Rogue. Rogue put up her fists and challenged the girl with
a smirk. The girl lowered herself back onto the ground.
¡¦ogue!¡¦Remy¡¦
voice called. ¡¦ove!¡¦/font>
Rogue jumped back
as a playing card whined overhead. She scrambled for cover behind the
fallen pipe as the ignited card hit one of their attackers¡¦bikes and
exploded. The green haired girl flew several feet and landed in the
grass just beyond the pavement.
¡¦et¡¦ go!¡¦Gambit
cried, as he hopped on the Harley. Amazingly, it had been left running
when Scrambler had first showed off his powers.
Rogue surprised
herself by running to the bike and vaulting onto the back. The bike
peeled out and they took off, leaving the partially destroyed street
behind. All the time they had been fighting against the gang, cars had
been swerving past. Now the sounds of emergency vehicles were fast approaching.
Gambit and Rogue flew past them as the ambulances and police vehicles
zoomed in the opposite direction towards the fight scene.
¡¦re you all right?¡¦
he asked her.
¡¦eah, Ah guess,¡¦
she replied. ¡¦ow ¡¦out you?¡¦/font>
¡¦hat one guy blinded
me for a sec,¡¦Gambit replied. ¡¦t was lucky I was wearing my sunglasses.
Who in the heck were those people?¡¦he added, mostly talking to himself.
Rogue thought for
a moment, and a name registered in her mind. ¡¦he Marauders,¡¦she said
finally.
¡¦hat?¡¦he said,
startled. ¡¦ou know those guys?¡¦/font>
¡¦o, Ah just¡¦hen
Ah touched the big guy, Ah kinda got a glimpse of his thoughts.¡¦/font>
Gambit glanced
back at her, a perplexed look on his face.
¡¦h can absorb people¡¦
energy,¡¦she continued. ¡¦nd if they¡¦e mutants, Ah can use their powers.¡¦/font>
¡¦ool,¡¦he replied,
but sounded unconvincing.
¡¦ell, that was
pretty neat what you did back there with your cards,¡¦Rogue said.
He smiled at her
then.
¡¦o where is it
you¡¦e takin¡¦me, now?¡¦Rogue said with a grin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The adrenaline rush
that Rogue had gained from absorbing Blockbuster was beginning to wear
off as she and Gambit stood in front of the club. It was called The
Burning Windmill, and the place was swarming with kids dressed up in
Goth garb. Rogue had on a tight black top that had a sheer fabric down
to the low neckline and her black flares, her regular makeup and gloves.
As they stood in line outside of the club, Rogue had been hugging her
arms until Remy offered her his black leather jacket. Compared to the
other kids, she still felt oddly underdressed. The girl standing behind
her had impeccably straight black hair and was wearing a black ball
gown. Still others were wearing jeans and tee shirts, some in various
states of dress and undress.
Remy was wearing
a pair of worn blue jeans and a fitted dark maroon tee shirt under his
jacket. When he removed the jacket to give to Rogue, she was startled
to see that he had a brightly colored tattoo just below his shirtsleeve:
a gothic-looking Virgin Mary with a burning sacred heart underneath
it.
Besides her nervousness
about her attire, Rogue doubted they would even gain entry to the club.
¡¦on¡¦ you have t¡¦e twenty-one t¡¦et in?¡¦she asked Remy nervously
as they approached the front of the line.
¡¦hh,¡¦he said
to her with a grin. ¡¦on¡¦ worry ¡¦out a thing.¡¦/font>
At the head of
the line was a tall black man who was wearing a black jacket not unlike
Gambit¡¦. He frowned at them as they approached.
¡¦D?¡¦he said in
a doubtful voice.
¡¦ere y¡¦re,¡¦Remy
said as he proffered his driver¡¦ license.
The man studied
the card. ¡¦ou¡¦e twenty-one?¡¦/font>
¡¦ccording to the
state of Louisiana, I am,¡¦Remy retorted.
¡¦ll right, Mr.
LeBeau, if that is even your real name, we¡¦l see about that,¡¦the man
said as he ran the barcode of Remy¡¦ ID under an electric scanner. The
scanner beeped and a green light flashed. The man looked at it in shock,
then tapped on the top of it with his fist.
¡¦ell?¡¦Gambit
prompted.
¡¦umph,¡¦the man
said, giving the card another once over. ¡¦emy LeBeau? Even the name
sounds fake¡¦ut I guess you¡¦e clear.¡¦
¡¦hall we?¡¦Remy
asked Rogue.
¡¦ow hold on,¡¦
the man put his hand out to stop them. ¡¦ need to see her ID too.¡¦/font>
¡¦ome now, monsieur,¡¦
Remy said smoothly. ¡¦¡¦ not a cradle robber, me. And how could you
deny me the pleasure of her delightful company, if even for a moment?¡¦
He took Rogue¡¦ gloved hand and kissed it.
The man blinked
at Gambit for a moment then seemed to find his voice. ¡¦h¡¦eah¡¦kay.
Go ahead.¡¦He was still blinking his eyes and scratching his head when
they entered the club together.
¡¦hat did you do,
hypnotize him? How did you do that?¡¦Rogue asked over the sound of the
pounding music.
¡¦ysterious, aren¡¦
I?¡¦he gave her as an answer.
Rogue had to admit
that the music inside of the club was much better than that of inside
Harry¡¦ Hideaway. There was a live band up on stage, and blue lights
flickered though the smoke and haze that permeated the club. Remy had
taken off his sunglasses, but no one seemed to think that his eyes were
anything out of the norm. In fact, Rogue felt almost normal inside the
dimly lit club. Everyone was dancing and having fun, biases and discriminations
were far from anyone¡¦ mind.
¡¦ hope you like
to dance,¡¦Remy said as he pulled her out onto the dance floor.
She did. Awhile
ago, she had absorbed a bit of Kitty¡¦ know-how, and hadn¡¦ had a second
thought about dancing ever since. Not that anyone would have noticed
she was a bad dancer or not. Everyone here was dancing to his or her
own personal beat. Remy grabbed both of her hands and they spun in a
circle. She found herself laughing and several others standing by laughed
with her, seeming to enjoy the fact that she herself was having fun.
They both danced through several songs, and only stopped when the band
paused to take five.
¡¦o you want something
to drink?¡¦Remy asked her.
She chewed her
lip for a moment before saying: ¡¦ure, but nothing alcoholic.¡¦/font>
He laughed. ¡¦ien
s r. I wouldn¡¦ completely corrupt you on our first date.¡¦/font>
Rogue felt her
face flush at this, and the corners of her mouth pulled up into a smile.
There was a screech
of feedback that filled the club, bringing everyone to a standstill
as they turned to look at the stage. The band members hadn¡¦ returned
to the stage, but there was a figure standing in front of the microphone.
Rogue gasped as she suddenly recognized the teen they had met on the
road, Scrambler. He looked a little rough on the edges, his clothes
singed and his goggles cracked.
¡¦iya all you freaks
and weirdoes. I¡¦ scratch-master Scrambler, and I¡¦ bout to bring down
da house.¡¦With that announced, there came another loud screech and
everyone clutched his or her ears in pain. Several glasses shattered
and the blue lights flickered and broke, shooting sparks as they exploded.
¡¦ah ears!¡¦Rogue
moaned.
¡¦nything is better
than having to listen t¡¦hat moron say another word,¡¦Remy replied.
¡¦hat?¡¦/font>
¡¦hat!?¡¦
Sudden flares of
light made Rogue think that one of the large spotlights had exploded,
but the boy made of crystal had made a sudden appearance.
¡¦f you all give
a big round of applause for my man, Prism!¡¦announced Scrambler, who
had apparently used his powers to tap into the sound system.
Prism shot up a
flare which flew up to the ceiling and hung there, casting them all
in bright white light.
¡¦here you are!¡¦
said a familiar voice. Rogue turned to see the green and white haired
girl, Vertigo, standing on a table behind them. She smiled at them and
added: ¡¦¡¦ going to make you pay for what you did to Mikey, you skank!¡¦
¡¦ring it on, you---!¡¦
Rogue¡¦ insult was drowned out by another scream from the amplifier,
but the language was bad enough to make Gambit wince.
Vertigo¡¦ face
turned ugly and she slapped her hands together, as if in prayer. Vertigo
seemed to stretch out, and her form twisted. The floor waved and the
walls bowed inward. Rogue lost her footing and fell. Her head was spinning.
From amidst the roiling room, Vertigo suddenly emerged and her foot
lashed out, kicking Rogue in the jaw.
Rogue fell onto
her back, clutching her face. She could taste blood, and it didn¡¦ help
the waves of nausea that were flooding through her. She began to crawl
away, her eyes shut tight. Vertigo¡¦ weight fell on her, and tackled
her to the ground. Rogue was lying on the floor, with Vertigo straddling
her. Rogue put up her arms, to block herself from Vertigo¡¦ blows. Rogue¡¦
face felt suddenly hot, and her vision cleared enough for her to make
out a red beam of light, burning a scorch-mark across the ground toward
her head. She threw herself forward and tumbled the girl to the ground.
Vertigo had her hands on Rogue¡¦ neck, and the two were struggling to
strangle each other.
Remy was suddenly
there, pulling Rogue off Vertigo and pushing the other girl away. Holding
Rogue he ducked behind a wall as Prism¡¦ light beam burned a path just
behind their heels. There were several other kids hiding behind the
wall. People were running everywhere, some of them shrieking. Shattered
glass lay across the floor, broken from Scrambler¡¦ screeching amplifiers.
¡¦ count three
of them,¡¦Remy said. ¡¦here are the others?¡¦/font>
¡¦e can only hope
they were caught by the police,¡¦Rogue said, as another flash of light
burned overhead.
¡¦tay low,¡¦he
ordered her as he stood up.
¡¦here are you
goin¡¦¡¦
¡¦on¡¦ worry ¡¦out
me. Find an exit. You get yourself, and as many others as y¡¦an, out
of here.¡¦He dove out from behind the wall and somersaulted towards
an overturned table. The flash of light followed him across the room.
Gambit took out a long cylindrical form from his pocket and it suddenly
telescoped out into a staff that was as long as he was tall. The beam
of light cut through the tabletop just at Gambit¡¦ shoulder, and he
vaulted over the table, out into the open. His free hand ran across
the ground, scooping up several glass shards, which he quickly charged
and sent flying towards Prism. Prism tried to scramble away, but the
force of the explosion knocked him to the ground.
Gambit turned and
pointed a glowing finger at Scrambler, who still stood on the stage.
Scrambler¡¦ face turned white and he dashed off the stage, tumbling
off into the wreckage. Gambit turned again to face Vertigo, who was
striding forward confidently. She began to raise her arms when Remy
advanced on her, spinning his bow staff. She deflected his first few
blows, and aimed a kick at him, which missed.
¡¦¡¦on,¡¦Rogue
hissed to some of the others nearby. ¡¦et¡¦ go.¡¦/font>
Rogue dashed out
across the floor and glanced back. Several others were following her
after a moment of hesitation. The entrance to the club was in just in
sight through the waves of smoke. Behind her came an exclamation of
fear. Rogue stopped short as the green-haired ringleader dropped down
from above.
¡¦eaving so soon?¡¦
she asked. ¡¦ou may have taken out Blockbuster, but he¡¦ a puppy compared
to what I can do.¡¦She gestured and a chair flew off the floor and struck
Rogue down. Spotlights were tumbling down from the ceiling, smashing
all around her. A high pitched whine Rogue recognized caused her to
duck, and two of Gambit¡¦ exploding cards zoomed overhead. Both flew
past the green haired girl and detonated on the wall behind her. Rogue
was on her feet, covering her eyes to protect them from the flying debris.
Gambit was soon standing at her side, holding a pair of cards. In the
other hand was his staff.
Their enemy seemed
unfazed by Gambit¡¦ attack. ¡¦¡¦l save you for later, sweetie,¡¦she
said, and pointed at him. The staff in Gambit¡¦ hand twisted suddenly
and curved around his torso. He was sent flying backwards and the two
ends of his ruined staff embedded themselves in the opposite wall, pinning
him there as he struggled.
Rogue took a page
from Gambit¡¦ book and scooped some broken glass from the ground and
threw it. While the shards didn¡¦ explode as Gambit¡¦ had, they were
enough to distract the girl for a moment. Rogue jumped and grabbed the
girl around the ankles and pulled her down.
¡¦f Ah could just
touch her bare skin,¡¦she thought to herself as she struggled to pull
off a glove. The girl aimed a kick at Rogue, which she avoided. She
grabbed the girl¡¦ exposed ankle as it swung.
Rogue suddenly
felt as if she couldn¡¦ breathe. Her hand felt as though it were glued
to the girl¡¦ ankle. She shrieked and writhed on the ground. Rogue struggled
to pull away. Her head felt as if it were being stuffed with cotton.
She learned the girl¡¦ name now: Malice, and she could feel her hatred
flowing through her in waves.
¡¦et out of me,
get out of mah head!¡¦Rogue cried. Behind the mask of hate was another
voice, one calling out to her weakly.
¡¦elp me!¡¦it called.
¡¦ can¡¦ help it, she¡¦ taken over. Please!¡¦/font>
¡¦ogue!¡¦someone
was shouting over and over again. ¡¦ogue, can you hear me? It¡¦ me,
Jean!¡¦/font>
Rogue took a deep
shuddering breath, and Jean¡¦ face swam before her eyes. One of Jean¡¦
hands reached toward her and smoothed back Rogue¡¦ hair. ¡¦re you all
right?¡¦Jean asked.
Rogue shook her
head. ¡¦t¡¦ like¡¦t¡¦ like there were two people inside her. Ah couldn¡¦
take itòî Shaking violently, she bent forward and put her head on her
knees. Malice was lying motionless nearby.
Behind Jean and
Rogue, Scrambler was approaching Gambit with a pair of live wires. Gambit
was struggling against the metal staff which had pinned him to the wall.
¡¦ne blackened Cajun, comin¡¦up!¡¦he said.
Shadowcat rose
like a specter from the dance floor a few feet behind Scrambler. She
grabbed the wires and pulled, causing Scrambler to fall backwards. He
fell right through Kitty and lay on the ground, twitching convulsively
with his eyes crossed and sparks shooting from his goggles.
¡¦ow, that was
way weird,¡¦Kitty said.
¡¦ little help
here?¡¦Gambit said.
¡¦h, right!¡¦/font>
¡¦evermind, kid,¡¦
said a gruff voice. ¡¦ got it.¡¦Wolverine approached and yanked what
was left of Gambit¡¦ staff out of the wall. Gambit fell a few feet and
landed on his backside.
¡¦hm, hi Wolverine,¡¦
he said meekly. ¡¦hanks for the save.¡¦/font>
Wolverine growled
and pulled Gambit up by the collar of his shirt.
¡¦ou are so dead,¡¦
Kitty informed Remy.
Vertigo was trying
to make a quiet exit when a blast of foul scented smoke forced her to
stop. Standing in the smoke was a furry blue demon and a kid with bones
sticking out of his skin. The latter shook his finger at her.
¡¦a-ah-ah!¡¦he
said, and fired several bones at her.
She raised to arms
to access her powers, when two of the projectiles shot through her shirtsleeves
and pinned them to the ground.
Everyone winced
and shielded their eyes as a bright blast of light filled the club.
Cyclops was the only one unfazed by Prism¡¦ attack, his eyes shielded
by his visor. There was a sudden blast of red light, and Prism was sent
flying.
A cooling gust of
wind blew through the club, and the smoke and dust blew away. Storm
flew through the broken entryway of the club and landed gracefully amidst
the wreckage. On the street behind her was Professor Xavier.
Wolverine half-dragged
Gambit up to the professor¡¦ chair. Rogue followed behind them shyly.
Logan was so angry he was only forming partial words and growls.
Professor X gave
them both a stern glare before saying: ¡¦et¡¦ return home, shall we?¡¦/font>
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
¡¦¡¦ very disappointed
in you both,¡¦he began as a preamble when they were all safely aboard
the X-Jet. ¡¦ou are very lucky that you or any of the others in the
club were not hurt.¡¦/font>
¡¦rofessor,¡¦Gambit
interjected. ¡¦ook, I¡¦ really sorry and all, but it was my fault not
Rogue¡¦. I made her come with me¡¦idnapped her practically.¡¦/font>
Rogue sighed. ¡¦on¡¦
listen to him, Professor. Ah went along for the ride. Ah¡¦ sorry, too.¡¦/font>
¡¦hose guys jumped
us, it was completely unprovoked!¡¦Gambit added.
Professor Xavier
raised his hand. ¡¦ believe you, Remy. It is not the fight that I am
upset about, but the fact that you stole Logan¡¦ motorcycle, broke curfew,
and managed to get yourselves into a club with an age restriction. And
for that, I¡¦ afraid there will have to be repercussions.¡¦/font>
Rogue and Gambit
glumly nodded. ¡¦rof,¡¦Gambit said, ¡¦an I ask you somethin¡¦ Please
don¡¦ tell Nathan what happened, I¡¦ beggin¡¦you. I didn¡¦ sign up with
you t¡¦attle evil mutants or learn how to use my powers, or even help
with your cause. But I¡¦l fight to my dying breath for peace, love,
and happiness for mutant-kind if you don¡¦ send me back t¡¦im.¡¦/font>
The professor looked
stunned for a moment. ¡¦emy,¡¦he began after a moment of silence. ¡¦
wouldn¡¦ dream of sending you back. Or worrying your guardian needlessly
over teenage antics.¡¦Professor Xavier put a hand on Gambit¡¦ forearm
and smiled at him, but the look of concern hadn¡¦ left his eyes.
¡¦f it were me,¡¦
called Logan¡¦ voice. ¡¦¡¦ start by stringin¡¦him up by his toenails.¡¦/font>
¡¦hank you, Logan,
but I think we will stick to more conventional means of punishment,¡¦
replied the professor. ¡¦irst of all, you are both grounded to the Institute
for a monthòî
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The small view
screen crackled to life, and eventually cleared to show a thin man¡¦
face with very pale skin.
¡¦ll of them, incarcerated?¡¦
said his voice through the tinny speaker.
¡¦up,¡¦came the
reply.
¡¦isappointing,¡¦
he commented.
¡¦aw her take down
the big guy with my own eyes,¡¦said the man to the screen.
¡¦he girl has amazing
powers, and could prove useful. Victor, you must free Malice. We shall
continue the tests on the other X-Men, before proceeding.¡¦/font>
Victor grunted
in reply.
¡¦nd keep an eye
on my young charge. I fear he is trying to distance himself from me.¡¦/font>
With that, Sinister¡¦
face winked out, leaving Victor Creed only with the company of static.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Scott was giving
orders, arranging their ranks before they began the Danger Room session.
¡¦nd Gambit,¡¦he said, ¡¦ou¡¦l be bringing up the rear.¡¦/font>
Remy was leaning
up against the wall, looking slightly bemused. ¡¦ou¡¦e the boss,¡¦he
said.
Cyclops graced
him with another disapproving glare, one of several he had earned himself
that day. Gambit had surprised the team earlier by showing up in his
new X-Man uniform, which looked similar to Rogue¡¦, save for that the
X on his chest was red. He was also wearing a red bandana to keep his
hair out of his eyes and his trademark black jacket, both of which seemed
to offend Scott.
¡¦ll right,¡¦Cyclops
said, raising his hand to signal that the team was ready and assembled.
The Danger Room began to change shape before their eyes.
¡¦ey,¡¦Rogue said
to Gambit. ¡¦t was kinda nice of you t¡¦ry and save me from getting¡¦
in trouble. But Ah don¡¦ need to be rescued.¡¦/font>
¡¦hat, I¡¦e noticed,¡¦
Gambit replied with a smile. ¡¦aybe you can pick our next date, and
corrupt me instead.¡¦/font>
¡¦ext date?¡¦she
quipped with a grin. ¡¦hat next date? And Ah don¡¦ believe you can get
any more depraved than you all ready are.¡¦/font>
¡¦ry me.¡¦/font>
¡¦oncentrate people!¡¦
called Scott, as he blasted an obstacle with his eye beams. He risked
another glare at both Gambit and Rogue before darting off to the head
of the group.
The pair shared
a private smile before running to catch up with the rest of the team.
Author's Notes:
Yes, I've written
a Rogue story. I got sick of getting emails after writing a story sans
Rogue saying: "Where's Rogue?!" or worse yet: "This would have been
better if Rogue was in it." (And if I ever find who wrote that, I will
beat you about the head and throat with a spatula, and force you to
read UXM #350 until your brain turns to pudding!)
You might note that
some of the Marauders are missing. Harpoon, because his powers are too
similar to Gambit's, and Scalphunter, because its not exactly PC to
write in a Native American named Scalphunter. (Bad marvel! Bad!)
Also, Gambit doesn't
wear a trenchcoat in this universe, because teenagers in trenchcoats
who carry explosives are creepy.
=====
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