X3: The Ace Of Spades

Disclaimer: X-Men is owned by Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox. I do not own X-Men, nor am I making a profit from this work of fan-fiction. So don't sue me! Not that you'd get a whole lot from me anyway ;)
A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it took a bit long. On the other hand, I believe this may be the longest chapter yet! Thanks for all the feedback, you guys are great. On with the story!

Chapter 25: Meeting

A figure cloaked in shadows crept in the dead of the night through the woods behind the large mansion that was home to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters – a mutant school and training ground. It was a tall figure, and if anyone had been watching there would have been little doubt that the figure was not a man.

The man slipped over a fence at the edge of the property – it was a relatively simple fence, barbed wire, with electric wiring running along each strand, each a pressure sensor. It was an easy task to climb a nearby tree – an enormous oak that had likely stood in its place for over a hundred years – take a running leap along one of its larger limbs, and clear the five-foot tall fence and land on the soft forest soil on the other side.

The man snorted with disgust and shook his head – the ease thus far was astounding. He broke into a careful run, closing the distance to the mansion over a mile ahead through the forest within seven minutes.

The man paused, one knee bent to the ground, and surveyed the opening of the forest into the back lawn of the mansion as he caught his breath from the run.

He licked his lips which had become dry during the run, and straightened his backpack, before he began slipping across the lawn, aware of two security cameras perched on either corner of the back roof, slipping from cover to cover while remaining in their blind spots.

It was slow work, waiting until they panned enough that he could slip to the next dark cover – fortunately it was a new moon, so the only light that lit the lawn were the small floodlights surrounding the building, and the dim stars peeking through a partly cloudy sky.

He slipped past the inner range of the left camera, and relaxed slightly as he pulled off his pack and placed it on the floor next to him. He knelt in front of a panel on the wall, and gently pried it off, revealing an intricate maze of wiring.

He traced out the wiring with his fingers, until he determined which controlled the internal security system. A simple snipping of the wires with a bypass to a small device he had taken with him in the pack left the security system on the doors and windows off, but unable to tell the computer at the center of the system that it was off.

He hopped up onto the back step, and a minute of lock-picking sprung the glass back door open, and he slipped inside, closing it behind him. The inside of the house was dead, every light off, and not a sound to be heard.

His black clothes hid him in the shadows as he slipped down the hall, to a set of stairs that led down. He padded noiselessly down them, and the décor of the hall changed on the floor he found himself at, the walls steel – not wood-paneled – and modern.

He stopped by one door, and entered, finding the large infirmary. He walked over to the most expensive looking machines, and his hand dipped into his sack, pulling out a puttylike white material that he shaped and slapped onto one of the machines, before placing a small cap with a blinking red light into the substance.

He moved out of the room, sliding into a breathtakingly large hangar, and he proceeded to place the same material on the landing gear of each jet that resided in the hangar.

He was gone in moments, already moving to the door at the end of the hall. This one required some sort of code, so he brought out his electronic code breaker, hooking up the leads and letting it begin to run its brute force cracking of the code to the door.

He let it run, moving down a level to a control room to an enormous, empty room. More substance was placed on the controls, another cap inserted into it once he’d shaped it as he wanted.

He slipped back up the stairs just as it finished cracking the code, and the doors slid open, an electronic voice greeting: “Welcome, Professor.”

The enormous spherical room around him was not of interest to him – the panel on the end of the walkway into the room was, and he fitted more substance to the bottom of the panel.

He moved back out of the room, closing the door, and collecting his device, which he slid back into the outer pocket of the backpack. He moved back upstairs, his breathing silent as he listened for any hint that anyone was about, and he moved about the lower part of the building, finding support beams of the building that kept it standing, and placing the rest of his supply of the putty-like substance around each one.

He smiled and nodded with satisfaction as the last cap was inserted into the last few grams of the substance on the central support beam.

The man crept up the stairs, and moved down the halls, past door after door, each room occupied by unsuspecting students. He reached the top floor, where his reconnaissance had told him the actual mutant team stayed.

He slowly turned the knob to one door, and opened it noiselessly, slipping into the room. And then he was staring down at a woman with brilliant-white hair, messed up in her sleep.

He continued to several other rooms, none of his victims realizing he was even in the room until it was too late. A young Native American girl, a pretty brown-haired girl, a blond-haired young man, all slept as he entered their rooms.

The next one was much different. As the man slid the door open, the dark-haired man inside the room jerked from his slumber at the sound, and seemed to sniff the air. Then he growled.

Long, glinting silvery claws sprang from the dark-haired man’s hands, and in a flash he was at the door, lunging at the shadowy man who’d opened his door.

The man dodged back, rolling into a somersault, as the clawed man’s claws whistled through the air near his head. On his back, his legs snapped outward, catching the clawed man in the chest, knocking him physically back into the room.

The clawed man grunted, and his eyes snapped to something inside his room. His palm slapped down hard on the emergency alarm, and a slowly crescendoing siren filled the air, and the hall lights flickered on, giving him a better view of the shadowy man.

He began to lunge again as people started to stumble from their rooms, but a slim device with a button on the top appeared in the dark-clothed man’s hand. He flipped back the cap, and pressed the button before the clawed-man could even reach him.

“Bang, we’re dead.” The man said, tipping back a pair of dark sunglasses he wore, revealing red-on-black eyes.

The clawed-man, Logan, slid to a stop, when he realized it was Remy, narrowly avoiding eviscerating him. “What the hell, Cajun? You don’t smell….”

Remy nodded as the hall filled. “Took a nice long shower an’ covered myself wit’ a new cologne. Gave ya the best edge I could.”

Logan growled, and rubbed his forehead, his adamantium claws retracting into his knuckles. “I take it this was your test?” He asked.

Remy nodded - he had told him, before the break, that he would try to test their current system, and then see how he could improve it, but he’d been deliberately silent on when, so that it would be like a real-life attack on the mansion.

“And from the sound of it we didn’t do very well?” Charles asked, his wheelchair rolling up the hall to him.

Remy shook his head. “Non. De security is even worse den I thought. I wish I’d realized it before. It was a breeze slippin’ in, an’ none of de important stuff downstairs is protected. I got ‘bout ten pounds of modeling clay, an’ some bottle caps to stand in for C-4 an’ blastin’ caps, an if dis had been a real trigger,” he said, waving the click-pen he’d clicked in moments before, “not only would all de electronics downstairs be blown to hell, but de mansion would be fallin’ down right now wit’ what I put on all de support beams.”

“An’ it seems like de only one that sleeps light is Logan here. I been through half dis level, coulda taken y’all in your sleep.” he said.

“Sorry for wakin’ y’all up,” Remy said to those gathered in the hall. “Dis was just a drill. You can all go back t’bed.”

Rogue, who’d moved to stand next to Remy during his conversation with Logan and Xavier, squeezed his hand and walked over to Sarah’s room where Sarah stood in the doorway watching the commotion with wide eyes. “C’mon, sweetie, it was just Remy. Let’s get you back to bed.” Remy shot her a grateful look, and she smiled back before grabbing Sarah’s hand and leading her back into her room.

‘Shit, hope she doesn’t get nightmares from this on top of her regular ones,’ Remy thought with a curse – he hadn’t expected Logan to turn on the emergency alarm and wake everyone up.

Ororo, Dani, Jubilee, Kitty, and the rest of the older students moved down the hall and down to the other floors, reassuring the students, and getting them to return to their beds.

Remy turned to Logan and Charles. “Really – dis was bad. Only a stumblin’ idiot would have been caught by dis system.” Remy paused. “Well, maybe not quite dat bad, but any pro would have gotten through jus’ like I did.”

Charles sighed, and rubbed his forehead. “Sadly, this is what has been installed since the mansion was attacked a few months ago. I’m not exactly ‘up’ on what a good system is, so I paid for one I thought looked the best.”

Remy shook his head. “Might’ve been de best dey had, but it ain’ de best you can get. We gotta get goin’ on upgradin’ dis. It might take a few months, but it’ll be worth it t’keep all of us safe as we can here. Let me look into some stuff, an’ I’ll get some prices to you, an’ we can order de equipment. Logan an’ I can install it?” He said, looking questioningly to Logan, who nodded in agreement.

“You show me how, an’ I can do it, Cajun. Thanks for stayin’ up an’ doing this for us tonight.” Logan said

Remy shook his head. “No problem at all. I got Sarah livin’ here, an’ I want t’make sure she’s safe as she can be. Rogue I’m not worried ‘bout as much – she can take care of herself wit’ Carol’s powers, but Sarah ain’ invincible, an’ neither are any of my other friends here. ‘Cept maybe you,” he said, nodding to Logan.

Remy sighed. “Alrigh’, sorry again for wakin’ y’all up. I’ll clean things up, an’ get started tomorrow makin’ some calls an’ getting a price for de system. If we can’t afford it, I’ll scrounge up some of my own money from my stashes t’help out.”

Charles nodded. “Actually, I think we should be able to, with – well, let’s leave that for tomorrow. I received a very interesting proposition the other day, and I need to speak with both of you about it, but let’s get a full night’s sleep first.”

Remy nodded, and Charles wheeled back down the hall to help the others get the younger children back to sleep. Logan raised his eyebrow at him. “Sorry for almost guttin’ you. Nice move disguisin’ your scent. Really thought you were someone else. So, you want help cleanin’ up?”

Remy smiled, and nodded. “Sure. I’ll take care of de stuff I put in de basements, you get de stuff on de main floor. Y’should be able to smell dem all out.”

Logan nodded. “Alright, bub. I’ll drop it off outside your room. Then I’m goin’ back to sleep.”

***

Ten minutes later, Remy had repaired the cut he’d made on the security wiring outside, and collected his “C4” charges from the subbasements, and made his way upstairs where, like promised, Logan had set the modeling clay from the main floor in front of his door.

Remy grabbed it, shoving it into his bag, which he tossed onto his bed. Then he sighed, and changed into a clean set of clothes, and made his way toward Sarah’s room.

He could hear the soft voices of Rogue and Sarah from inside, and he slowly opened the door.

Rogue and Sarah looked up at him, Sarah from her spot tucked into her bed, and Rogue over her shoulder from where she sat at the edge of the bed, holding Sarah’s hand.

“Hey,” Remy breathed, kissing Rogue’s forehead, before moving to the other side of the bed next to Sarah.

“Didn’ mean t’wake you up, ma mignonne,” Remy said quietly.

Sarah smiled slightly and shook her head. “It’s okay, Remy. I just – Rogue told me why the alarm went off. That’s a little scary that someone can break in like that.”

Remy nodded seriously. “Oui, it is. It scared me how easy it was for me to do it, an’ how easy it would be for someone else t’do it.”

He squeezed her hand. “But don’ worry, petite, I did it t’see how good de system is, an’ I’m gonna help dem upgrade it so we’re safer here.”

Sarah nodded slightly, and smiled. “Good. Then no one can get in, because you’re the best.”

Remy chuckled, and shook his head. “Non, I can’t make it so dey can’t get in. But I can make it so we know dat someone’s comin’ a long ways away. Make it as safe as I c’n for you, petite.”

Sarah bit her lip, and then nodded. “Okay, Remy.”

She looked up at him and Rogue with pleading eyes. “Can you stay until I fall asleep?”

Remy nodded, and shifted on the bed so he was sitting with his back to the headrest next to her.

Rogue did the same with a smile, and brushed her gloved hand over Sarah’s cheek. “Sure, sweetie, we’ll stay.”

***

Rogue yawned slightly as she padded toward the living room. She’d gotten little sleep after she and Remy had waited until Sarah fell back to sleep, and it was not for lack of trying. Her sleep had been fitful, and as a result she was already up at six in the morning – perhaps during her open afternoon she could take a nap to be rested up for the date Remy had planned for them, she thought to herself.

She thought for a moment about going to the kitchen, but her stomach protested that – she rarely was hungry this early in the morning, especially when she’d just woken up, so she decided instead to see if there was anything on besides early morning news.

She paused in the doorway of the living room when she saw the light on, and saw the room already occupied by someone sitting in one of the armchairs, the TV on at a low, almost audible volume from Rogue’s position at the door.

A young woman – at first glance she didn’t look much older than Dani, Jubilee, or Rogue herself – with brilliant green hair sat on the chair, biting her lower lip in concentration, the tip of her tongue visible at one corner of her lips. Her palm of her right hand was outstretched on her lap, and mere inches above her hand hovered a silvery-metallic spinning-top – the kind Rogue played with as a child – which was rotating slowly in the air.

As Rogue watched, a second top wobbled unsteadily up from the woman’s lap, and slowly lowered down to rest on the other top, and then jumped up to hover an inch above it and begin to spin slowly as well, in the opposite direction of the first. Both wobbled considerably more when a third top began to rise from her lap to join them.

As the third came to rest on the second, and as it started to spin, all three tumbled out of control, and fell to her lap with a clatter. An aggravated sigh escaped her lips, and the heel of her hand pounded the arm of the chair. “Damnit,” she said, clearly irritated.

Rogue tapped the fingers of one hand against the doorframe in a soft knock, and the woman’s attention was finally drawn to the fact that there was someone else in the room.

“Hey,” Rogue said softly, a tentative smile on her face. “Mind if I come in?”

The woman shook her head, a hint of pink in her cheeks at the realization that someone had witnessed her outburst, and spoke to the girl with an interesting streak of white in the bangs of her otherwise brown hair. “No, come on in. Not doin’ much anyway.”

“You must be Lorna,” Rogue said, moving across the room to sit in a chair across from her, stretching out her gloved hand. “Ah’m Rogue.”

Lorna shook her hand. “Nice to meet you…” She trailed off, mouthing Rogue’s name to herself for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed. “Oh – Rogue! You’re Remy’s girlfriend.”

Rogue forced herself not to tense at that. “Yeah,” Rogue said, nodding.

Lorna smiled. “Well it’s great to meet you then. I was wondering when we’d run into each other.”

Rogue nodded. “Remy an’ Ah went t’supper late, so we must’ve missed yah last night.”

Lorna nodded back. “I gotcha. You guys missed the whole introduction thing. You met Nezhno yet? Professor Xavier introduced him and me and that kid, Jimmy, to everyone that was there.”

Rogue smiled. “Yeah, Nezhno was still eating when we got there. Remy introduced us. Haven’t seen Jimmy yet, but Ah’ve met him briefly before he came here.” She said.

She glanced at Lorna. “Remy tol’ me ‘bout th’mission, an’ how he found yah – how’re yah doin’?”

Lorna shrugged. “Alright, I guess. Maybe a little bored. Not much to do right now other than things Professor Xavier sets up. Playing with my powers,” she said, nodding to the metallic spinning tops. “Getting frustrated, like I’m sure you saw – sorry about that.”

Lorna shook her head and sighed. “I used to be able to do three tops, no problem, and now I can’t even get that right.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “We got beaten if they saw us use our powers, so I haven’t even touched them for months now, and I lost a lot of what I’d gained before they took me. Just really frustrating having to re-learn everything.”

Rogue glanced at her sympathetically. “Ah’m sorry, Ah – no one should hafta go through somethin’ like that. Ah understand why you’d be frustrated. Ah would be too.”

Lorna grinned wryly. “It’s that, and the fact that I managed to get rescued in the final third of a semester, so I have to wait at least ‘till summer session before I can take any classes. Thus the being bored.”

Rogue nodded, and looked at her curiously. “What are yah studyin’?”

Lorna shrugged. “Dunno for sure yet. This’ll be my first college courses, really. I’m thinkin’ geology or geophysics. I really liked that stuff in high school, and with my powers basically making me part of the magnetic field….” She trailed off, absently twirling a finger, causing one of the tops to jump up and spin slightly. “Sorta fits. What about you?”

Rogue bit her lip, her fingers twisting together slightly. “Ah – Ah think Ah might want ta be a nurse. If Ah get control of mah mutation, Ah think that’ll be what Ah do.”

“That’s cool. Lotsa time at school for that, I bet.” Lorna raised a green eyebrow. “What’s your mutation?”

Rogue held out a gloved hand. “Mah skin. It… Ah can absorb a person’s mem’ries, an’ their powers if they have them. Can kill someone if Ah hold on too long. Ah can’t control when it happens, put mah first boyfriend in a coma – he’s still in it.”

Lorna’s eyes widened. “Ouch. I’m sorry, here I am complaining about not being able to spin tops, when you… that really sucks.”

Rogue shrugged. “Ah’m dealin’. Remy’s helpin’ me learn to control it.”

Lorna smiled, somewhat bittersweet. “That’s good. I… Rogue, I don’t know if he told you, but, I…. sort of tried to ask him out on a date when I first came here….”

Rogue tensed visibly this time, but nodded. “He did.”

Lorna put her face in her hands and groaned. “I always manage to make a fool of myself with things like that. I didn’t realize he was taken, and… I just want to clear the air with you. I’m – I’m fine just being friends with him, and I’m not like, gonna try to steal him away from you or anything like that.”

Rogue sighed softly, and then smiled. “Thanks. Hearin’ that… helps. Ah was a little jealous when he told me, an’ – mah power doesn’ exactly help, ‘specially when mah last boyfriend an’ Ah broke up because of the whole not-touchin’ thing. Remy’s… he’s one of th’only people Ah’ve met that isn’t bothered by that, but it still scares me that he’ll leave sometimes, y’know?”

Lorna leaned forward and tentatively patted Rogue’s hand. “Well, you don’t have anything to worry about from me. Just friends. And… if you want, I’d like to be friends with you too. I don’t know many people…”

Rogue smiled, and nodded. “Ah’d like that.”

Rogue finally relaxed fully, and leaned back in her chair. “So what’re you doin’ up this early?” She asked. “Ah didn’t ‘spect ta see anyone up.”

Lorna grimaced. “Couldn’t sleep. Bad habit from the Purifiers. We were lucky if they let us sleep five hours in a row. Bad dreams too. What about you?”

Rogue shrugged. “Just restless, couldn’t stay asleep much more’n a half hour.”

“Getting woken up in the middle of the night probably doesn’t help much either. Does Remy usually set off alarms in the middle of the night?” She asked, a playful smile on her face.

Rogue laughed and shook her head. “Naw, just ev’ry once in a while.” She said, grinning. “He didn’t mean to wake everyone up last night. Ah think he’s a little embarrassed that he didn’ think of Logan turnin’ on th’alarm manually – he was just testin’ the security system.”

Rogue shifted in her chair. “Y’know,” she said hesitantly, “if yah ever wanna talk ‘bout…. anythin’, ‘specially ‘bout what you went through, Ah’m a good listener. Talkin’ usually helps with th’dreams. Ah know from experience.”

Rogue saw the fingers of Lorna’s hands tense slightly, and the metallic tops quivered slightly on her lap, before she nodded, looking up to meet Rogue’s eyes. “Thanks. I – I might take you up on that when I’m ready.” Her hand moved up to shakily run through her long green hair, combing it back out of her eyes.

Rogue smiled slightly. “Alrght, fair ebough. Now, have yah eaten breakfast yet?” She asked. “Ah’m feelin’ hungry.”

Lorna shook her head. “No, I haven’t, but I’m a bit hungry too.”

Rogue placed her hands on the armrests, and pushed herself up. “How’s an omelet sound? Ah can make you one...” Rogue said.

Lorna smiled. “Sure, sounds good if you don’t mind.”

Rogue shrugged. “No problem. C’mon, Ah’ll show yah where Ah hide the good bacon. Even Remy doesn’ know ‘bout it.” She said, grinning. “But yah can’t tell anyone, ‘specially not Remy – don’ want him getting’ fat.”

Lorna laughed, and mimed zipping her mouth shut. “Your bacon secrets are safe with me.”

*****************************************************************

“You can start, Logan,” Charles said as Piotr and Bobby filed into the ‘War Room’, the last two they had been waiting for.

Logan cleared his throat. “I’m sure most of ya have at least heard about our little raid on the Purifiers last week if y’weren’t in on it yerselves. I’ve been goin’ over the hard drives we recovered from the base.”

Logan shook his head. “Most of it’s boring as hell – requisitions for toilet paper, medical supply invoices that I let Hank take a look at,” he said, nodding in his direction. “Guard rosters, rotations, security procedures. All a bunch of junk now that we took them out. I’ll let Hank talk about the medicine when I’m done.”

“I did find some stuff that might give us a bit more insight into them. They haven’ made it a secret they’re a terrorist organization since they first showed their faces, so that’s not really a surprise.”

“It looks like they’ve gotta cell structure – pretty common with terrorists. Only a few people in the group know an’ are in contact with another cell, an’ they only let ‘em have contacts with two or three others – compartmentalization so if one group gets taken like th’one we attacked, they don’t reveal much more of the overall group. Probably only one or two people know all th’cells, an' they’re the higher-ups.”

“But from the looks of it they’re a pretty big organization – this was the western New York cell, and the files hinted most states have at least one. These guys were in contact with ‘nother group somewhere in New York City an’ a group in Pennsylvania.”

“Locations?” Remy asked.

Logan shook his head. “Nope, jus’ phone numbers. Probably could track them if I had the resources, nail down where the other two groups are.”

Logan continued, looking at a piece of paper where he’d written out what he wanted to talk about. “One new thing – looks like these guys aren’t simple political terrorists, they’re some sorta religious cult. Found copies of a bunch of mutant hate sermons from some whackjob minister from Kansas. They kinda remind me of the KKK or that Christian Identity/Aryan Nations group.”

“Apparently we’re ‘abominations’ produced by the AntiChrist, and the movement to get mutant acceptance is really trying to turn everyone into mutants an’ it’s the ‘mark of the beast’.” Logan said, a hint of a growl in his voice.

Logan saw Kurt shake his head slightly, and realized that as a very religious mutant the concept these people were teaching was likely even more alien to him than to the rest of them.

“Lotsa hints about a connection to the Church of Humanity, but nothin’ solid to go on. Could be they do their recruitin’ from the most radical members of the COH. Connection wouldn’t be that suprisin’ given what you found in Creed’s head, Chuck,” he said, nodding to Charles.

Logan shrugged. “That’s ‘bout all I’ve gotten through. There’s a bit more that’s readable, but the rest is on the more damaged drives.” He looked to Kitty. “Figured maybe you could give me a hand with them, Kitty. Get what we can off of them.”

Kitty nodded, her expression reserved, and not nearly as bubbly as she usually was. “Sure, I can give it a look.”

“Maybe recruit Doug inta helpin’ – know he’d pretty good with that stuff too.”

Kitty bit a nail, and nodded – Doug Ramsey was a good friend of hers, slightly younger than herself and the others, and he was a whiz at computers, especially programming. “If I need any help I’ll get him. Don’t wanna get him involved in this sort of thing if we can help it, though, right?”

Charles nodded. “Only if you have to.” He looked at Logan. “Was there anything else?”

Logan shook his head. “No, that’s it. Don’t know if Hank found anythin’ from the medical stuff.”

As everyone’s attentions turned to the blue-furred man, he cleared his throat, and pushed a pair of glasses further up on his face, and nodded. “A lot of it seems like your basic lab and medic station. Some of these things, though. There are some rather exotic drugs here, as well as an inordinate amount of anti-body suppressants – the sort of drugs that are prescribed after organ transplants to reduce the risk of a rejection.”

He shook his head. “Given the description Gambit gave me last week, and these supplies, it appears they were experimenting surgically in some way with the mutants they captured. Organ transplants at the very least – I don’t know what type – perhaps mutant to mutant or even mutant to human or human to mutant. It’s rather disturbing to say the least. Perhaps an attempt to see if implanting baseline human organs would change mutants in some way. Likely not vice-versa given what Logan just said about their ideology.”

“Without any actual records of procedures, or any files the ‘doctors’ kept, I’m afraid I cannot make any further guesses.” He concluded.

“I’ll keep an eye out for anything like that, when I’m working on it,” Kitty said.

“What about a connection to Senator Creed?” Bobby spoke up.

Logan grunted and shook his head. “Nuthin’. Hint of a possible area leader that’s givin’ orders to the three I mentioned, but no more. With the way they’re organized I think we’re gonna hafta get lucky with a raid like this an’ run into a group that his assistant keeps in contact with, or figure out some other way to get the evidence.”

***

‘Could you stay behind? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you, ’ Xavier broadcasted to the heads of Logan, Rogue, and Remy as everyone began to leave, having finished the discussion on the Purifiers and set up several training sessions for the team. He and Remy had discovered that while Remy was shielded from telepathic reading and mental influences, his rudimentary receptive-empathy allowed him to receive broadcasted thoughts like everyone else in the mansion.

Remy, who had already begun to stand, sat back down, and they waited until everyone else had left.

“I’m sure the three of you remember meeting Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., back on Alcatraz?”

“Oui,” Remy said, and Logan and Rogue nodded.

“Nick and I are old friends, we used to work together in the past. He stopped by for a visit over break to make us a rather intriguing offer.”

“He’s looking to make a, shall we say, shadow version of the Avengers. A group behind the scenes that can do things that the Avengers wouldn’t be able to, things perhaps less than legal or at least less legal than what we did at the Purifier’s base.”

“Since mutants could hurt the rather good PR that the Avengers are bringing in, he’d like to make this group up of mutants, and he came to me to see if I had any ‘suggestions’.”

Logan frowned. “He wants the X-Men?”

“Basically, yes. He said he had a mutant or two of his own in mind, but apparently it can be hard to covertly recruit trustworthy mutants, so he came to me.”

“And what’s in it for the team?” Logan asked.

Charles sighed. “Anyone that joins would be an official S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, paid full salary. We would get access to S.H.I.E.L.D. resources – information, files, everything, for our own use. And… I don’t want to influence any of you by this, but Nick promised anonymous funding for the school. Enough to do all we planned and then some, without dipping into the school savings. This is what I was referring to last night when I mentioned something about funding the security upgrades.”

“What’re de strings?” Remy asked.

“Not many. I’m under the impression that this is pretty close to Top Secret, so this will be funding without any distinguishable connection to the government. The only thing he wants is a team of mutants he can call on when he needs them. Likely weekend missions – he knows your priorities will be with the school – unless it can’t be helped.”

Xavier held his hands out on the table, palm up. “I don’t want to force any of you to do this. Even if we don’t, we still have plenty of funding for the school, so don’t worry about doing it for that. All this would do is make it simpler.”

“I will be talking to the others individually about this, but Nick requested the three of you, so I figured it would be best now to know how the three of you feel about it.”

“He asked for us specifically?” Remy asked, his brow furrowed.

Charles nodded. “Yes. Logan, you apparently have worked with him in your past, and he felt you would be perfect for the group. Remy, Nick knows who you are, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has quite the file on you on things they suspect you were involved in but apparently couldn’t pin on you. And apparently Nick was impressed that you were willing to risk passing yourself off as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent – told me to tell you that you should take care of your badge?”

Remy cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed. “Ah, I shoulda figured dey’d hear ‘bout dat. I flashed a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge a… friend of mine gave me when I got Rogue from de city after Carol. De only way I could t’ink of to get us away from de cops dat were dere.”

Charles chuckled, and shook his head. “Yes, I’d gathered as much from what he said. Apparently the accounts given were hazy enough that he only knew you’d rescued a mutant girl, and he didn’t seem to know who that had been.”

Rogue smiled softly, and reached under the table squeezing Remy’s hand, before looking up to Charles. “Why does he want me?” She asked.

Charles sighed. “Your abilities. I’d guess to get information from people. I warned him when he asked for you that you’d be uncomfortable using it, but he wanted me to make the offer anyway.”

Rogue nodded slightly, and glanced down at the gloved hand that rested on the table, the one not gripped by Remy’s own hand.

“Ah figured it would be that,” she said softly. “Ah…Ah’m not sure how comfortable Ah’d be with that. With people Ah know, yeah, it’s been alright, but with the kind of people a team like this would be dealin’ with….” She shook her head.

Xavier nodded in understanding. “That was my thought as well. Nick will understand that.” Xavier glanced over to Logan.

Logan nodded. “I’m in. Least to check it out. If I don’t like what I see, I’ll leave.”

Remy sighed, and nodded as well. “I’m in too. It’ll be good, not jus’ for de school, but for havin’ de resources t’bring Creed down.”

Charles smiled slightly. “I’ll tell Nick.”

Rogue looked up. “Ah’m in too.”

“Chére? You sure?” Remy asked, squeezing her hand slightly.

She nodded. “Ah – Fury probably doesn’ know about Carol’s – mah powers now. Ah’m not gonna absorb mem’ries for him if Ah don’ feel right ‘bout it, but Ah have other powers now that’ll be useful in somethin’ like this.”

Remy looked over her face with a concerned gaze for a moment, making sure she was doing what she really wanted, and then nodded slightly, squeezing her hand again. “Alright.” Remy said, sighing imperceptibly. “Tell Fury he’s got his answer. But tell him if anyone from my past finds out I’m still alive b’cause of dis, I won’ be happy. Black ops better be black ops.”

Charles nodded. “I’ll be sure to tell him that. I don’t think any of us would benefit from that. I’ll discuss this with the others over the next few days, but I wanted to hear from the three of you first.”

“So we get to use their resources – dat’s gonna make it a helluva lot easier t’find dirt on Creed and Maldrone. Dey probably got a nice database goin’ on suspected Purifier bases – save us a bunch of time tryin’ to find dem.”

Xavier nodded again. “It will. Apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. was watching the base we’d attacked, and had been trying to get someone on the inside. We’d have had access to their blueprints of the place instead of what we found.”

“I talked to Nick about Creed, and what I found in his mind. He’s a bit worried that they’ve got some sympathizers of Creed in S.H.I.E.L.D. because their checks on him didn’t catch anything about his assistant or any hint of a tie to these anti-mutant organizations. In any case, he’s looking into it himself – none of us want a person like Creed as a president of our country. More than likely our own missions and the ones Nick has you go on will be similar if not the same.”

“Sounds like Fury might have us help clean house at first,” Logan said thoughtfully. “Was there anythin’ else ya wanted t’talk to us about, Chuck?

“This was really all I wanted to bring up. I’m sure within a week Nick will visit again and talk with you personally. I’ll go call him now with a tentative yes.” Xavier said, dismissing them.

*****************************************************************

Remy rubbed at his forehead as he walked slowly to the living room. He was used to going days with little sleep, but he wanted to be refreshed for Rogue on the date. Typically there were few people in the living room at this time of day on a Tuesday, so he decided to try to catch a short nap on one of the couches.

He glanced around the room, and flicked on one of the corner lights, enough to give a low light to the room without being too bright to sleep, and he slid onto one of the couches, propping a pillow up behind his head.

He thumbed the remote turning the television on, and settled back, his eyes already starting to droop. He sat up slightly, his eyes opened fully, when the channel he was watching went to international and national news, and the banner across the bottom mentioned something about mutants.

The older man at the news desk looked up from a piece of paper that he had sitting in front of him on the desk.

“Good afternoon, thank you Nancy,” he said to the person that had passed the report on to him.

“Our first story takes us to the country of Denmark. Today the Danish Parliament passed an amendment to the Danish Penal Code, extending the definition of hate speech – which is defined by the Code to be public statements that threaten, ridicule, or hold in contempt a group of people due to their race, skin color, nationality or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. The new amendment adds genetic status to the list.”

“This decision comes two years after the Danish Parliament passed laws against discrimination of a person on the basis of their genetics, making Denmark the first country to do so at the time. The Netherlands soon followed, and Sweden recently passed similar laws.”

“In related news, the British House of Commons has introduced a Parliament Bill that will be voted on in a few months, which would introduce similar hate-speech and anti-discrimination policies for protection of mutants.”

“Moving on to China, US officials – and official statements from China – confirm the fact that the Chinese government is forming a task force of native superhumans and mutants, to act as a special forces response team for the Chinese military.”

“We go now to one of our military and international political consultants, Retired General Sam Lane, to look deeper into this announcement. Sam, does this news come as a surprise, and what are its implications?”

The scene changed to an older man, with gray hair, dressed in a suit sitting at a desk in another location.

The man cleared his throat, and glanced down at a piece of paper in front of him. “Well, George, frankly at least to the government, this news is unsurprising.”

“It merely confirms long-held suspicions of such a group in China, basically a counterpart to the government sanctioned Avenger Initiative founded by S.H.I.E.L.D. We’ve known or suspected for a while now that China had at least one of these groups, and this simply formalizes that fact.”

“China now joins the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Egypt in publicly acknowledging a group of superhumans and mutants in an official government capacity.”

“Israel, Iran, North Korea, India, and South Africa are believed to have unacknowledged teams themselves. For many countries, it appears that superhumans and mutants are becoming a part of a new arms race, similar in many ways to the nuclear arms race of several decades ago.”

“Very interesting, Sam,” George said, “Also interesting, isn’t it, that China seems to have embraced mutants as well as superhumans?”

Sam nodded. “Yes, they treat them as a national treasure – and that only highlights what I think is the double standard here in the United States: somehow, people who achieved abilities after birth, or have unexplained abilities not linked to the ‘X-Gene’, are welcomed, as seen by the superhumans in the Avenger Initiative like Thor, the Hulk, and so forth. But the minute you bring in genetics, for some reason these people with similar abilities are no longer so easily accepted.”

George nodded. “Thank you, Sam, indeed it is a quandary we cannot explain. Thank you for coming here to talk with us.”

“Next, several economic experts will break down important financial events over the last month, and we’ll be answering questions from viewers – if you have a question, just send an e-mail to…..”

Remy felt himself begin to drift to sleep as the station went to a commercial, and an indeterminate amount of time later the sound of muted voices began to cut into his consciousness.

Suddenly, the warm, constant hum of his empathy in his head – something that had taken years to get used to completely – died out, and the energy that felt ever-ready to hum forth from his body dimmed, and he jerked upward on the couch, a card ready between his fingers.

But the card wasn’t glowing as he sat up, whirling toward the entrance to the living room. A curse at that fact died on his lips when he saw Rahne and the young boy they’d rescued from Alcatraz – Jimmy, if he remembered right – standing inside the room, frozen at his sudden movement. And then he knew what had caused the feeling that woke him, and he relaxed, the inert playing card disappearing into his pocket.

“Dieu, sorry,” he said, “didn’ think anyone’d be comin’ down here.”

Rahne smiled, and blushed slightly. “It’s alrigh’, Mister Gambit, we dinnae know you were in here.” She glanced at Jimmy. “Jimmy, this is Professor Gambit – do ye remember I tol’ you about him?”

Jimmy nodded, and reached his hand out tentatively. “Yeah. You were with the others at the lab,” he said, recognizing Remy. “I’m Jimmy – I… guess you already know what my powers are - sorry.”

Remy grinned ruefully and shook his hand. “Oui, Jimmy, nice t’meet you. Jus’ takes a little getting’ used to if y’have an’ active mutation like me.”

Rahne looked up at Remy. “I was going ta show Jimmy where our video games are,” she said, nodding to where several X-Boxes and Playstations rested in the entertainment set.

Remy smiled, “Oui, dey’ve got some good games here.” He gestured at the array of gaming systems. “Dere’s a few TV’s around de room, so feel free t’play if no one else is usin’ dem – dat’s pretty much de only rule ‘round here.”

Jimmy nodded. “Okay,” he said, looking eagerly at the consoles.

“So how y’doin’ so far?” Remy asked, “Things goin’ alright?”

Jimmy nodded. “Yeah. I spent yesterday with Professor Xavier taking placement tests to make sure I’ll be in all the right classes here. Met a lot of people, too.”

“Looks like Rahne’s takin’ you under her wing,” he said, winking at Rahne.

Jimmy grinned, and glanced at Rahne. “I never had many friends back home, so it’s nice to have one now.”

Rahne flushed slightly, “Stoppit, yuir makin’ me turn red,” she said, a hint of a smile on her face.

Her expression brightened more when she saw something behind Remy at the door. “Sarah!” She said cheerfully, and scurried over to the door to grab Sarah’s hand.

“Jimmy, you met Sally – Sarah’s my other friend,” Rahne said, grabbing Sarah’s hand and pulling her into the room. “Sarah, this’s my new friend Jimmy.”

Sarah’s feet stopped moving, and she stood stock-still when she entered the radius of Jimmy’s abilities, Rahne’s hand slipping from hers at the sudden halt. A look of discomfort went over her face as the bony growths on her face, shoulders, arms, and legs, all retracted slowly, leaving the now brown-haired girl completely unblemished by the growths that constantly plagued her.

Her wide eyes slowly moved up to Remy’s eyes, and her shaky hand reached up to touch the smooth skin of her forehead. “I-“ She shook her head, turned, and ran out of the room.

Remy sighed softly, and looked over to Jimmy, who looked stricken at what just happened.

“I knew this would happen with someone,” he muttered dejectedly.

Remy stepped closer and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “It’s alrigh’, Jimmy. Sarah’s grown up wit’ her mutation for ‘bout half her life now, an’ hasn’t had much good happen to her because of it. I think goin’ back like dat jus’ scared her, an’ it was too much t’take in.”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

Rahne looked down, a troubled expression on her face. “I’m sorry too, I dinnae think about that. D’ye think she’ll be alrigh’?

“She’ll be fine,” Remy said. “I’ll give her a few minutes t’calm down an’ not feel overwhelmed, an’ den I’ll go talk t’her. It ain’ your fault – don’ make a big deal ‘bout it either, I t’ink she’ll be feelin’ embarrassed ‘bout it when she cools down.”

Remy grabbed the remote from the couch, and handed it to Rahne. “You guys keep doin’ what you were doin’ – I’ll talk t’her. Hein?”

Rahne nodded. “Yes, Professor Gambit.”

Remy winked at her, and chucked her lightly under the chin. “Gambit’s jus’ fine. No pr’fessor or mister, ‘less y’want to, an’ dat only in class, petite louve,” he said, grinning.

***

Remy smiled slightly to himself when he found Sarah in the second place he’d guessed she would go. The first had been her room, but that seemed too obvious to him, and a quick check had shown she wasn’t there.

He walked softly up next to her where she stood, leaning against the fence that looked in on the horse pasture. Her arms were laid flat against the top of the fence, and she was leaning forward, her chin resting on her overlapped hands.

“Hey, ma mignonne, you doin’ alright?” He asked softly, reaching out to rub her back with his hand.

She jumped slightly in surprise, her eyes sliding away from the two horses racing across the pasture in front of her. She whirled around, and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Yeah,” she murmured into his shirt.

“You really alright?” Remy asked, pulling her back slightly placing a hand under her chin to move her eyes up to his. He hid a frown at the tell-tale signs that she’d been crying.

She sniffled slightly, and nodded. “Yeah, sorry, Remy, I… was that th’boy you guys saved from Magneto? The one they were usin’ for the cure?”

He smiled slightly, and nodded. “Yeah, petite, it was.”

“My bones were gone,” she said quietly. “That was really scary.”

He grabbed her hand, and moved, sitting down on the dusty ground with his back against the fence, and pulled her down next to him. “Why’s dat, petite?” he asked gently.

She shivered slightly. “I- I’m not sure, Remy. Think part of it was not knowin’ it would happen. An’, I… I think they make me feel safe. Ever since the tunnels, an’ you tellin’ me I wasn’t a freak because of them – they’re safe, even if I hate how they make me look.”

“An’ when they just disappeared, I felt like I did back with my… after my mommy died, how I felt around him,” she said. “Um – helpless.”

Remy reached down, his palm placed against her cheek. “Know what y’mean, petite. I was fallin’ asleep when Rahne an’ Jimmy walked into de room, an’ I felt everythin’ – al my powers – disappear, an’ it scared de hell outta me.”

Then he frowned, and let his fingertips stroke over several of the bony growths that emerged from her forehead and above her cheekbones. “An’ you know I tell you all de time – dese don’ make you look like any less of de belle petite dat you are, ma mignonne.”

She smiled slightly, and laid her head back on his chest. “I know, Remy. I’m actually starting to feel that way myself. Thanks for telling me all the time. It helps.” She said softly.

Remy hugged her. “Dat’s my job, petite,” he said, grinning down at her.

Sarah looked up at him, biting her lip slightly – a habit she’d seemed to pick up from being around Rogue, he thought to himself. “Guess I should say sorry to Jimmy an’ Rahne.”

Remy nodded. “You should. Rahne’s worried ‘bout you, an’ so was Jimmy. I t’ink he’s been worried ‘bout someone hatin’ his mutation an’ what it does.”

Sarah looked down, her expression crestfallen. “He probably thinks I do because I ran away,” she said softly.

Remy shook his head. “Non, I explained it t’him. He understands. Still wants to meet you. He an’ Rahne seem to have hit it off pretty good, an’ he wants to get to know all her friends.”

He straightened up, and started standing, helping Sarah to her feet as well. “Let’s head in – I think Jimmy an’ Rahne’ll still be in de entertainment room.”

Remy walked back to the mansion with her, and stopped with her at the door to the living room. He squeezed her hand. “I’ll let you guys have de room to yourselves, okay?”

Sarah smiled slightly, and nodded. She leaned up, kissing his cheek. “Thanks for comin’ after me, Remy.” She whispered.

“Y’welcome, petite.” He said, tousling her hair as she turned to enter the room.

He stood by the doorway, a smile on his face as she entered the room, and slowed as she neared Jimmy and Rahne, stopping for a moment as Jimmy’s powers negated her own, and her bone growths retracted completely, her hand moving to her face again to feel where her bones had been.

“Hi,” she said softly, dropping her hand. “I-I’m sorry about runnin’ off like that. I just wasn’t expecting your powers – but I am now. I’m Sarah.”

Jimmy smiled at her. “Don’t be sorry, I understand. It’s nice to meet you…”

Remy nodded, satisfied, and pulled back from the door to give all three of them privacy – and perhaps he could finish his nap in his own room, he thought to himself as he moved toward the elevator.

*****************************************************************

“Fuck!” Creed exclaimed, throwing the drinking glass he was holding against the wall of the hotel suite he and his wife were staying in. The glass shattered, and dropped to the ground, the pieces making dull taps as they hit the carpet.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before looking back up at Maldrone. “Sorry – are you sure about this? How did this happen? And how the hell are we just now finding out about this?”

“We’re sure. Clemmons went to the site himself. Completely destroyed – everything’s lost.” Maldrone said.

“We’re only finding out about it now, because of the cell structure – usually it works in our favor but this time it worked against us. The building was destroyed last week, and that branch wasn’t planning on making contact until yesterday with the NYC cell. Apparently the cell leaders were in the building when it blew, and are in the hospital in the ICU, and none of them were able to make contact. The others who survived would have needed access to the facility computers to find contact numbers, and those were obviously destroyed.”

Creed closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead where a pounding headache was beginning to develop. “Alright – ok. Do we have any idea who did this?”

Maldrone shook his head. “No, all of the surveillance footage was not recoverable. We’re investigating, but it looks like it might have been mutants. There were no clear signs of man-made explosives – it looks like the building just blew up for no apparent reason.”

Creed growled to himself. “So, basically any mutant in the country with some sort of explosive powers could have done it. Any mutant with a grudge against the Purifiers, which means every mutant has a motive.” He shook his head. “Did they get anything? Information we should be worried about?”

“No,” Maldrone said, “we don’t think so, but then most everything was mangled beyond recognition. Even if they did make it out with files, the Western New York cell was very careful about purging information about the organization. At worst they got some information on what we were doing at that facility alone, nothing on the others.”

“Alright,” Graydon said, sighing wearily. “Get word out to all the cells. I want heightened security just in case. The Kansas City job still on for tonight?”

Maldrone nodded. “Yes, last I heard it’s still going.”

“Good,” Creed said. “See if you can get word to them first, make sure they’re extra careful – I don’t want us getting caught framing the muties, that would screw the whole thing.” He leaned back against the headboard. “I need to take an aspirin. Let me know when you get word to everyone – we have to go over the speech for Virginia. Only two days to get it down the way we want it.”

Maldrone nodded again, and quietly left the room, the door closing behind him, and Creed got up, padding over to his suitcase to grab his bottle of aspirin. He opened it and tapped out two, dry-swallowing the capsules.

The sound of the hairdryer in the bathroom ceased, and moments later the door opened and Mikaela walked out, a scanty bathrobe covering her body, her hair still curling from the slight dampness from her shower.

Her eyes scanned the room, stopping for a moment on the broken glass near the wall, and moved across the room, embracing her husband. “Bad news?” She asked.

Graydon nodded, and relaxed as her hands moved up to massage his forehead. “Yeah. Ron’s taking care of it though. Mutants, not the campaign.” He clarified when he saw the questioning look in her eyes.

“Mm, well, I may just know a way to help you forget about it…” she said suggestively, moving to place her lips on his.

He pulled her down onto the bed. “I like the way you think,” he said gruffly. Mutants could be damned – they had nothing on his wife, he thought to himself.

*****************************************************************

“Thanks,” Rogue said, smiling, as Remy held the car door open for her. She climbed out, and Remy closed the door behind her, and slipped his hand into hers. “Still not tellin’?” She asked, amused.

“You’ll see soon, Chére,” Remy said, still silent on where he was taking her – at least now she knew it was New York City: they’d just parked in a parking garage downtown.

Rogue reached down with her free hand to smooth out the knee-length tan skirt she’d worn which complemented her white dress blouse nicely. Her gaze shifted to the right, and ran over Remy appreciatively.

While she’d seen him dress up a bit on their previous date – their first one – she couldn’t help it as she looked at him in an even dressier outfit. He was wearing a long-sleeved button-down dress shirt that fit him rather nicely in her opinion, and dressy pants.

She squeezed his hand with her gloved one, and he glanced over at her with a slight smile. “Alrigh’, here we go, Chére. Ever been to a French restaurant?” he asked, nodding to the well-lit sign of La Grenouille as they exited the parking garage and moved out onto the street.

Rogue’s eyes lit up, and she smiled, shaking her head. “No, Ah haven’t.”

Remy grinned back. “Well, it ain’ the same as goin’ to Paris, but it’s pretty close. Never been to dis one myself, but Henri recommended it. Hope you saved y’appetite, b’cause sometimes de meals can be a bit big.”

Remy pulled open the large glass door of the entrance, and they moved up to the front desk. In moments the host waiter had looked up their reservation, and was taking them to their table.

The restaurant was moderately large, with a warm atmosphere, well-lit by chandeliers that hung above the tables, and candles that burned softly on the tables next to bouquets of flowers in the center of the tables.

“Here you are,” the man said with a warm smile, “your server will be with you shortly,” he said, setting down two menus on the white tablecloth covering the table.

Remy smiled at Rogue, reaching across the table to interlock the fingers of one hand with her own. “Alrigh’, Chére, dis is how it goes – your first choice is gettin’ une degustation, which is dis menu,” he said tapping the smaller menu inside the one they had been given, “dat will be a tastin’ menu – you get to try little bits of diffren’ dishes.”

“De second choice is le formule, which gives you a choice of diffren’ courses at a fixed price. De entrée, is an appetizer – for some reason here in America it now can mean main course,” he said, grinning slightly, “an’ den le plat principal, which is de main course. An’ den, my two favorite – le fromage, et dessert – cheese an’ dessert.”

Rogue squeezed his hand, and then looked over the menu – it was in French, with translations beneath each item. “Ah think Ah’ll go with choosin’ the courses.”

“Dat’s what I’m doin’ too,” Remy said.

After giving them a few minutes to look over the menu, their server came over. “Bonjour, I am Eduard, I’ll be your waiter this evening. Have you had enough time with the menu, or should I give you a few more minutes?”

Remy nodded. “We’re ready to order.”

The waiter smiled, and looked to Rogue. “What would the mademoiselle like?”

Rogue glanced down at the menu for a moment. “Ah’d like the full meal, um, Soupe à l'Oignon gratinée for the entrée, and Filet Mignon aux Oignons for the main course.”

“Very good,” the waiter said. “I think you’ll enjoy the Filet. And you monsieur?” He asked, looking to Remy.

“Le Risotto aux Champignons, and Le flétan au Riesling for le plat principal.”

The waiter nodded. “And what can I get the lovely couple to drink? Could I interest you in one of our wines?”

Remy tapped the wine list that sat on the table. Yes, we’d like a bottle of your Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien,” Remy said choosing a light red.

The waiter nodded – the whole time he hadn’t used a pad to write their orders down like many waiters did, instead simply remembering it. “Very well, I will bring out a bottle for you right away after I put your order in.” He said, before inclining his head to them, and turning to walk in the direction of the kitchen.

***
“This’s really good,” Rogue said, after swallowing a bite of cheese and bread. The waiter had just cleared away their plates, replaced them with clean ones, and set a platter of several types of cheese and various breads in front of them, and walked off to put in the order for their desserts.

“Now y’know why it’s my fav’rite part,” Remy said grinning as he bit into a slice of brie on a slice of sesame bread.

The dinner had been delicious, and quickly served to them, and as Rogue grabbed another piece of bread and a knife to cut some Munster cheese, she was glad she’d taken Remy’s advice earlier that day to save her appetite. Even now, she knew she’d barely be able to handle dessert without feeling full.

Rogue’s eyes moved up to meet Remy’s – he’d not worn his sunglasses, his brother had made sure it was a mutant-friendly restaurant when he had visited himself. “So, have yah really been to France?”

Something flashed in his eyes for a moment, like a bad memory trying to rise up in his head and showing itself in his eyes, and then it was gone. He nodded, not aware that she’d noticed. “Oui. Once. It’s beautiful – countryside was the best but even in Paris, the city was great. ‘Course it was a job, so I didn’ get to spend a whole lot of time admirin’ it. But de Louvre – damn near a thief’s wet dream – now dat was impressive.”

Rogue’s eyebrows rose. “You – you had a job at the Louvre?” She asked, lowering her voice.

Remy chuckled and shook his head, “Non, it was a private collection near de edge of de city. De Louvre was jus’… sightseeing,” he said.

Remy spread the last bit of cheese, a soft Camemburt cheese, on a piece of warm french bread, and leaned forward, offering it to Rogue’s lips. She flushed slightly and then leaned forward, taking a bite of the bread, licking her lips as she pulled back.

Remy popped the rest into his mouth, and took a sip of his wine as he finished eating it – Rogue had been a bit more careful drinking this time, ensuring she had a moderately full stomach first, and thus far had not been affected by the drinks.

“What ‘bout you, Chére? You been out of de country before?”

She shrugged. “Ah guess, if y’count goin’ on a family trip to Niagara Falls when Ah was nine, an’ crossin’ onto th’Canada side. Other’n that, Ah haven’t.”

Remy pursed his lips slightly. “Well, we’ll hafta change dat. One of your breaks we should head somewhere, maybe overseas. Been thinkin’ ‘bout Sarah getting’ to see more of de world, an’ I guess it’d be good for you too.”

Rogue smiled softly at that. “Ah’d like that. Just th’three of us. Maybe over summer break,” she said. “Ah have a passport – th’Professor made sure we all got them when we became official members of th’team.”

Their conversation was cut off by the return of their waiter, who grabbed their plates, before placing two sample platters of different flavored scoops of sorbet in front of each of them.

Rogue took a spoonful of a pink-colored one, and placed it into her mouth, closing her eyes in delight at the strong strawberry flavor. “Mmm, y’gotta try this one.”

***

Rogue felt warm even in the chilling evening air with Remy’s arm around her shoulder as they walked along the storefronts near their restaurant. “This was really romantic,” Rogue said softly near his ear, leaning up to kiss him softly on the cheek.

Remy smiled, and drew her in closer until she was pressed further up against him. “Hoped you’d like it, Rogue.”

“Ah did. Ah like a man that plans ahead,” she said with a warm smile, “it makes me feel important. Not that Ah’ve had much experience, but… with Bobby an’ Cody, they never really made me feel like that – like Ah was the most important thing to them.”

“You are,” Remy breathed, “You an’ Sarah. More importan’ to me den anythin’ else.”

She felt his body tense imperceptibly against her as they walked, and she glanced up to see his gaze fixed on a man up the street from them, making his way in their direction. Something about him seemed… wrong… to her, like something was off, and she assumed this is what Remy had taken note of.

The man bumped into a middle-aged woman who had just emerged from a small diner in ahead in their path, and he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her, apologizing politely.

The woman smiled politely and nodded, before continuing to walk on.

“Jus’ act nat’ral,” Remy murmured, leaning down and making a show of kissing her on the top of her head.

She smiled – it wasn’t exactly faked – and tried to keep walking like she had been.

Moments later, they passed the man, his arm barely brushing against Remy’s, and he continued on, well past the two of them. “Wait here,” Remy said to Rogue as he pulled away from her, bouncing a small object in his palm.

Rogue’s eyes widened when she realized what it was, and smiled to herself as Remy ran up ahead, catching up with the woman.

“’Scuse me, ma’am, is this yours?” he asked, holding out the wallet in his hand. “I think you dropped it when you ran into that man back there.”

The woman gasped, paling when she recognized the wallet, and then smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you so much. I would have never found it. I would have lost everything.” She opened her wallet, and pulled out a ten dollar bill, pressing it into his hand. “Thank you for being so honest – there are too many people these days that would have kept it for themselves.”

Remy shook his head. “Thank you, but please, I don’t want to take your money,” he said, smiling his thanks to her, but she kept it pressed in her hand.

“Please, it’s the least I can do.” She said insistently, pulling her hand back, and stuffing her wallet into her purse.

“Well, thank you, then,” Remy said, reaching forward to grasp her hand and shake it. “Glad I saw it.”

He released her hand and walked back over to Rogue, who grabbed his hand, leaning her head on his shoulder. “You, are sweet,” she said, poking his chest with her finger, “Y’know Ah barely even saw yah touch him t’get that back,” she said, an impressed expression on her face.

“It’s all ‘bout practice,” Remy said with a slight shrug.

Rogue glanced up. “Yah didn’t end up takin’ her money…. Did yah?

Remy shook his head. “Non, I couldn’t. She’s gonna have a nice ten-dollar surprise when she looks in her purse next time,” Remy said, enjoying the sound of Rogue’s rich laughter at that.

***

The engine rumbled to a halt as Remy pulled the car into the garage at the mansion and shut it off. He hopped out of the car and tossed the keys onto the rack they kept them on, and moved around the car to grab Rogue’s hand and help her out.

“So, Chére, did you have a good night?” He asked quietly, still holding onto her hand.

Rogue nodded happily. “Yeah, Remy. Ah don’t want it to be over, either,” she said, half-pouting.

He glanced at his watch. “Well, it don’ have to be. It’s only a bit eleven. We could go up on de roof for a while…”

Rogue’s expression brightened. “C’mon,” she said tugging him toward the door.

“Sarah’s already in bed, tol’ her I would be back late an’ she had class early tomorrow so she had to be in bed by eleven.”

“Alright, so we have the roof to ourselves tonight,” Rogue said as she pulled him outside.

He raised an eyebrow and craned his neck up four stories to the roof. “We gonna climb up?” He asked with an amused smile.

Rogue grabbed his arm firmly. “No – fly.” She said, laughing at his surprised yelp as she took to the air, towing him along with her somewhat shakily until she got used to the change in her center of mass.

She darted upward, and landed neatly on the roof, Remy finding his footing quickly afterward next to her.

“Maybe a little more warnin’ next time Chére?” He asked with a wry grin, using the arm she was still gripping to pull her down next to him as he sat down on the roof.

Rogue giggled. “Where’s the fun in that?” She asked cheekily.

Remy rolled his eyes, and pulled her closer until her head was resting on his shoulder, and they stared up at the stars together.

“Shootin’ star,” Remy said suddenly, pointing at the light that flashed quickly across the sky.

Rogue closed her eyes for a moment. “Well, Ah made mah wish.”

“What is it?” Remy asked curiously.

Rogue swatted his chest. “Ah can’t tell yah or it won’ come true, dummy.”

“Bet it was ‘bout me,” Remy said smugly.

“Don’t get cocky, Cajun.” She said.

“You sure you don’ want me to, Chére?” He said, looking at her suggestively.

Rogue blushed slightly. “Does that mind ever get outta th’gutter?”

Remy shook his head, a serious expression on his face. “Non.”

Rogue gave an aggravated sigh, and reached up to touch his cheek and turn his face until their noses were almost touching. “Ah guess Ah’ll jus’ hafta deal with that,” she said in mock disappointment before pressing her lips to his, pulling back only when the pull of her powers became too great – something she was becoming much better at determining with Remy.

She settled back as he touched her hand and withdrew his energy from her, and they lay there staring at the clear starry skies – this was the clearest night she’d seen here at the mansion since they’d started coming out here.

“So you met Lorna,” Remy said quietly.

Rogue glanced up at his face in surprise. “Yeah, how’d yah know?”

Remy smiled. “Woke up an’ came down when you two were in de kitchen. Sounded like you guys hit it off pretty well, an’ I didn’ wanna interrupt girl time.”

Rogue nodded. “We did. She’s nice. Kinda reminds me of Carol almost. We talked a lot about you.” She said. “She even apologized for hittin’ on yah, tol’ me Ah wouldn’ have anythin’ to worry ‘bout from her.” Rogue said, smiling.

She sat up slightly. “She’s bored outta her mind. We should make sure she’s included in ev’rythin’ around the mansion.”

Remy nodded slightly. “We here at de mansion are de only people she’s got. She’s got no family anywhere – Logan checked it out for me over de break.”

Then he raised his eyebrows. “Speakin’ of meetin’ people, you talk to Jimmy yet? Sarah met him today, an’ I had a talk with him.”

Rogue shook her head. “Ah met him when we rescued him, but Ah haven’t run inta him yet since he came in. Sarah an’ him get along?

Remy grimaced slightly. “She freaked out at first when her bones disappeared near him, ran off outside. I calmed her down, an’ she went back to talk to him – ‘parrently he an’ Rahne made friends de last few days, an’ Rahne was excited to have him meet all her friends.”

“Ah can understand. Ah’m glad she’s alright now. Ah know Ah could just feel Carol’s power’s disappear, an’ mah own – Ah don’ blame her for getting’ spooked at first.”

Remy grunted and nodded, touching her cheek. “Y’know… we could ask him to hang around if y’ever wanted to touch without your powers…”

Rogue closed her eyes for a moment, and then shook her head. “That’s sweet of yah t’be thinkin’ of me like that, but Ah don’ wanna. It’d just hurt that much more when Ah walked away an’ it was even fresher in mah mind what Ah can’t have right now. Ah want it to be jus’ you an’ me, not someone else helpin’ us along, fakin’ it.”

Remy smiled and nodded. “I understand, Rogue. Jus’ offerin’ in case y’hadn’ thought ‘bout it.”

“Ah know. That’s why Ah put up with you,” she said, smiling sweetly –innocently – up at him.

***

Nearly a half an hour later, just as Rogue was beginning to think Remy had fallen asleep, he turned on his side, looking seriously at her. “You really sure ‘bout joinin’ dis S.H.I.E.L.D. team? If y’just joinin’ because I am…” He trailed off, reaching up to stroke back the white bangs that framed her face.

Rogue shook her head. “No, Remy, Ah’m sure. It ain’ jus’ ‘bout you joinin’, although that’s a bonus,” she said, smiling slightly.

Her smile fell then, and she sighed. “It’s just… Creed needs t’be stopped, first off, an’ this’ll make it a lot easier t’do. I want to stop what happened to Sarah in th’tunnels, an’ what happened to Lorna in that cell from happenin’ to other mutants.”

She lowered her eyes, not meeting his. “An Ah – Ah finally feel useful to th’team, an’ now I can be useful here too. Ah always felt so useless, like Ah was just a leech that could only defend itself by takin’ other people’s powers.”

She shook her head, placing the tips of her gloved fingers against his lips as he began to protest. “No, Ah don’t feel that way any more. Sarah an’ Logan, an’ especially you, showed me Ah can do things with mah powers that Ah never thought of, an’ that Ah wasn’t useless. An now, Carol gave me her powers, an’ Ah can use them, too. But Ah want this – t’show mahself that Ah really can be more than ‘The Girl With Th’Poison Skin’.”

“You are more,” he said seriously, and then raised an eyebrow. “Y’know, ‘The Girl With Th’Poison Skin’ might jus’ make a good band name.” he said with a low chuckle, ducking down to rest his chin in her hair.

“Thanks. An’ Ah think you’re right, it might be a good name,” Rogue said with a soft smile on her face.

She chewed on her lip for a moment. “Remy? Can Ah ask yah somethin’? Somethin’ personal?”

“Anythin’. No secrets, remember?” He said, reaching up to play with a strand of her hair that had blown into his face.

She swallowed slightly. “What happened in France? Ah could tell it wasn’ all great like yah were makin’ it out b’fore. Somethin’ happened.”

Remy inhaled sharply, and glanced away. “Job went bad,” he said.

Rogue grabbed his chin, turning his face so their eyes met. “Somethin’ hurt yah.”

Remy nodded, and sighed wearily. “Alrigh’. It was one of my first jobs – first one outta de country. Henri went wit’ me to watch out for me. We were hired t’steal a rare pendant, L’Etroile du Tricherie, from someone. He lived in one of de residential buildings, like a big condo, on de twennieth floor of a group of buildings called Orgues de Flandre.”

“We got in town a week or so before we had t’steal it, which left us wit’ plenty of time to enjoy ourselves an’ case de place before we went in. We enjoyed de night life quite a bit. Met a girl. Her name was Genevieve Darceneaux. Turned out to be de daughter of de man we were gonna steal from.”

He shot Rogue an apologetic look as he continued. “We had a good time together, I actually liked her, but I knew I had t’play her to get easier access to de pendant.”

“Dis guy we were stealin’ from was a big shot, had some sorta connections wit’ a local gun-runnin’ business, so de place was crawlin’ wit’ security. Our employer set us up wit’ one of his own men, to give us ‘assistance’ in getting’ past all dese people – no one knew I’d happen upon Genny.”

Remy’s jaw clenched. “His man was a brute. Mutant wit’ some sorta animal side. Sorta like Logan, but evil - sadistic.”

Remy shook his head. “Anyway, Genny got me in de building, an’ Henri an’ de animal kept de guards off my back while I stole de pendant.”

“I got out, an’ found out our client didn’ wanna let us in on the cut. His man had taken Henri an’ Genny, an’ was hangin’ dem – tied up – off de balcony of de floor we were stealin’ from. Sadistic bastard got off on it – said he’d let dem go if I gave him de pendant.”

“Bastard thought it was funny when he dropped dem after I handed de pendant over, said he’d held to his word and ‘let them go’. I jumped off after dem, caught Henri’s rope, an’ managed to catch on to a balcony – broke my leg doin’ dat.”

“Almost had her,” he said, staring down at his left hand. “Her rope was in my hand, but I couldn’ hold on – ripped my skin up pretty good when it slid through my hand. Guess I slowed her down a little bit, but dat was still ten stories left t’fall by den.”

Remy’s eyes met Rogue’s, anguish clear in them. “She was alive, barely, when we got down. She tol’ me… she tol’ me she loved me, an’ I shoulda jus’ asked her for de pendant,” Remy whispered, his eyes shutting tightly.

Rogue was speechless, and simply reached up to frame his face with both hands and pepper comforting kisses to his face.

Remy took a somewhat shaky breath, and opened his eyes again, shooting her a thankful look. “It probably wouldn’ have ended up workin’ between us, but… I made a girl fall in love wit’ me, an’ then got her killed.”

Remy shook his head. “Never did dat again. Never got involved wit’ someone to get closer to a job, even if it woulda made it a hell of a lot easier. I couldn’ handle dat – I could hardly handle de guilt from Genny dyin’.”

“Gawd, Remy, Ah’m so sorry.” She said as she stroked his cheek.

She saw his fist clench shut. “If I ever see dat bastard again… I don’ think I’ll be able t’stop myself from killin’ him.”

She nodded, cradling his head closer until his forehead rested against her chest. “Ah wouldn’ blame yah, Sugah. Ah’m sorry Ah made yah bring up those mem’ries again.”

Remy shook his head, content to remain where he was. “Non, Rogue. No secrets,” he repeated in a low whisper.

She held him until she felt his breathing begin to slow, and shook her head – when she’d asked him to tell her, she’d had no clue the tale would be so sad.

She looked down at Remy with wonder – if this was any indication, it would take a long, long time to learn everything from the past that had made Remy into the man she loved today.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

AN:Well, took longer than I thought – this chapter wasn’t writing well for a while, finally got a handle on it this week and got it to where I wanted it. But – nice and long, with plenty of ROMY for you guys.

The story of the Paris job at the end is based on X-Men #33 with a few tweaks for this story (i.e., Genevieve was the actual possessor of the pendant in the comics, and it was actually Sabretooth himself that told the story – to Rogue).

Heh – anyone catch the nod to the DC Comics universe? It’s somewhere in the TV scene. ;) While I love Marvel, I like comics from both the big publishers (and a lot of the indie stuff). :)

Hopefully next chapter will come out better. Next chap will likely only be character development, and perhaps cover the rest of the week. Chapter after that should (if things go how I plan) begin to ramp things up again as the next threat from Creed is revealed.

See you all, and thanks for all the great reviews.