CH 19:

It had been a long time since he had been among friends of any real value, even those that he once considered such revealed themselves to be no more than a hopeful illusion. Of course their were people who considered themselves his friend, but they were only drawn into the easy facade that he cast before them, the feeling was rarely reciprocated but often enough it was duplicated for effect. He had discovered long ago that he held that affect on people and had been using it to his advantage since. It was easy to make them fall for his once calculated charm that now came as a reflex, he did it often, he never knew when someone was going to prove themselves valuable or when he would need a favor. But he trusted few of them, and even of the ones he did trust he didn't genuinely like. He had surrounded himself with an endless sea of acquaintances and contacts, drawn into what ever false persona he felt necessary to display for them.

He didn't know exactly where he was going, the blacktop of the highway had become an unrelenting pattern of monotony until it was broken up by the bright lights of the city. The fresh air had done a little to distract him from the pain he was experiencing caused by his wounds, he thought they should have hurt more, but they were surprisingly bearable and becoming less bothersome as time passed.

He wanted the combination of solitude coupled with quiet distraction. He needed somewhere with an atmosphere but where the patrons knew enough when not to bother a man. He thought of Harry's, but there was too much of a risk running into one of his old teammates there, the last thing he wanted was someone trying to babysit him right now, or was it? Maybe he wanted them to pay attention to him, show him that someone still gave a damn about him. Yes; he wanted that, but from anyone but them.

He decided to hit up one of his old guild haunts, it wasn't an official guild bar, but enough members congregated there to make it a safe haven. Since it wasn't sanctioned by the guild as an official meeting place he wouldn't have to worry about anyone approaching him with business, he could just sit there and drink himself into oblivion and no one would bother him.

He parked his bike across the road from a hole in the wall that screamed out to every low life and hustler within sight. It was saying a lot of things to a lot of people, it told cops they weren't welcome, it told criminals that this wasn't the place to cause trouble, it told everyone else that entrance was by invitation only, if you had never been here before there was a reason, and it told Remy to come right in and make himself comfortable.

He took a seat at the bar, a table would have drawn less attention but it hardly mattered in a place like this, plus sitting at the bar had the added benefit of getting his drinks to him as quickly as possible. The haggard bar tender took a look at him and waited expectantly.

"Bourbon an' water"

He downed it before the bottom of the glass even had a chance to sweat onto the bar and ordered another.

"Bourbon, neat, no water."

This one went down just as fast, but not fast enough. If anyone had cared to pay attention to him they would have noticed that he had one thing and one thing only on his mind tonight. He slid a fifty onto the bar.

"Bourbon, leave de bottle eh?"

The bartender complied with his request; the fifty was more than enough to cover the cost of the bottle of makers mark, even selling it by the shot. He toyed with the idea of not even using his glass, but even if he cared little for public opinion their was a line of inconspicuousness that he did not want to cross, so he kept pouring himself shots, and downed them one by one. When he was sufficiently drunk enough to slow down he took a look around the bar, usually that would have been the first thing he did, but lately his senses were so heightened he didn't have to, he could feel someone coming from a mile away. In-fact he had to concentrate twice as hard to repress his field, he had began to pick up people walking by outside, and as he got more intoxicated that turned into sensing people across the street, then down the road, it continued until he was picking up movements from rats in a warehouse on the other side of the block. He didn't know what was going on but it was starting to wear his nerves thin, so he took another drink.

He recognized a few faces; none of them recognized him - that was usually the way he played it. He almost never revealed himself to contractors or fencers; they couldn't see you sweat if they couldn't see you. He didn't recognize any of them from the New York guild which was just as well, the last thing he needed was the guild coming down on him for showing up in the city unannounced, next thing he would know he'd be getting unwanted credit for every unsanctioned job that went down without guild approval.

He finally settled and allowed himself to think. He was always thinking, but usually his thoughts ran more along the strategic sense than the reflective. When events were happening in real time you couldn't afford to slip into a reflective state, he was always analyzing every angle, trying to figure out how he could twist the outcome to his benefit. But now he wondered how in the hell he ended up in the one place he swore he would never come back to. Was it just the news of Sarah that made him stay? Did he still have feelings for any of them, did he ever really? He could hardly tell anymore, the staged personification of his personality was starting to mix into his true essence; he was starting to buy into his own bullshit, having trouble differentiating between the many different faces that he put on display to the world around him. He tried to draw on his memories to guide him, what would the old Remy do, the Remy that existed before he was betrayed by those he trusted most? Before he could let that answer surface he cut it off as inconsequential; that man was weak and foolish enough to let himself trust in the first place, that man was dead and from the ashes was born what he had now become - cold and thoughtless, concerned for his own survival and nothing more. Even as he spoke the words into his head he laughed out loud, he was more full of shit than he had originally thought.

'Ain' no way you c'n feel dis guilty an' say you don' still care homme.'

But where did that leave him? He knew that if he stayed with the X-men long enough he would slip back into his old routine again, eventually it would be as if nothing happened at all. Things had away of getting lost in their world, in-between the non stop fighting and Xavier's dream it seemed little else mattered much. The thing was; he knew it all along, he knew it as soon as he woke up in the med lab, he knew it when he walked into the war room, he knew it when he agreed to stay, it wouldn't be long before he was calling himself an X-man again.

He took another shot and slammed his glass down in anger. He was mad at the undeniable eventuality of it all, he was mad at the helplessness he felt to alter his own fate. Just a month ago he had plans of fading into his old life, becoming a legend of his craft, no not a legend, the legend. Now he was on the verge of playing hero again, and damn it if there wasn't a part of him that was looking forward to it. He had resigned himself to his fate, but if he was going to unwilling play the same game again he would make certain that those who drew him back in would not forget what they had done to him. He was here now, so he would find a way to make them pay for their transgressions, they weren't getting away from this one, their self-righteousness wasn't going to protect them from repayment.

And what the hell was that dream that he had? No, it was more than a dream; it was too real to only be a product of his imagination. It was not an angel; he knew that, no angel would ever come for him unless it was the angel of death. But what then? He had been so willing to let it all go, but now the message that was delivered to him in his final moments only left him with questions, questions that he had to have answers for. The only problem was where to begin to find them. The problem wasn't that he didn't know, the problem was that he did know, and he didn't like where it would lead him.

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"Yes he is gone, I am certain of it. I checked everywhere and his bike is missing, Logan said that he couldn't find a fresh sent of him anywhere, he's been away at least a couple of hours."

Jean looked unusually calm. It was a purposeful ruse as she was anything but, however she felt the need to convey an air of nonchalance hoping that others would fall in suit, they didn't need to feel like they were doing anything wrong.

"Ya but that don't mean he won't walk right in on us, even I can't hear the Cajun comin till he's right on top of me".

"Then I suppose that we shall have to conduct this meeting quickly."

The X-men were gathered in the same room as before, nothing had changed except the time, and the topic was still Remy. Xavier resumed the meeting.

"I suppose you are all wondering why I insisted that Remy stay with us."

They all waited expectantly for an answer from Xavier, they all had their own ideas but doubted the validity of them.

"Besides the obvious fact that we owe it to Remy and ourselves to gain closure on the matters that have caused a rift between us there is the situation with Sinister to consider, I believe that something greater than our own personal differences with each other is unfolding. When I was being held prisoner by Sinister he kept gloating over me, telling me how I was but one piece of his plan."

"What does that have to do with Gambit?"

"We cannot be certain Scott, we only have what Rogue told us of Destinies prophecies. She said that our world would hinge on the actions of one man - Remy, and that he was closely tied to another, and that other individual was Trask. I do not believe that Destiny knew Sinister was masquerading as Trask but the connection is still there. It would be foolish to ignore her warning."

"Professah, don't put to much stock inta what Destiny says, most of the time she ain't even right."

"I am aware of that Rogue, but we cannot take the chance of letting Remy fall victim to Sinister again."

Jean had tried to stay on an even keel, but lately had found herself speaking out more against Gambit than for him, she only wanted to maintain a balance until they could sort through the mess that they had made, but there were to many factors that were coming into play for her to remain neutral anymore.

"I think that before we decide anything we should think of the possibility that joining with Sinister is what Remy wants."

Without Warren and Betsy she didn't find as much support for her cautiousness as she would have liked, but more than one of them nodded their heads in recognition of the possibility. Ororo was still shocked from Remy's rejection of her earlier, she wasn't sure what to think, she felt as if she hardly knew him anymore.

"I cannot pretend to know Remy's mind, he is quite different from the man I used to know."

Then sadly she added,

"I suppose the responsibility of that fact lies mostly upon us and the consequences of our actions. While I still doubt that Remy is in concert with Sinister I feel that caution is necessary."

This shocked more than a few in the room, if their was one person that they all would have expected to stand by Remy no matter what his actions it was Storm.

"Now hold on here! Will ya'll listen to yaselves! Arguin ovah what ya think of Remy like he would even care what your opinion is."

Rogue was more animated than they had seen her since the trial, the complacency had faded and they recognized some of the fire that used to burn within her.

"Just cause he ain't crawlin back here beggin our forgivenss ya'll automatically think that he's our enemy? In case ya'll done forgot, were the ones who left him ta die, he didn't come back here on his own, we brought him back. And when we did find him he was facin down thirty armed gaurds to help the Proffesah. I used to think that ya'll thought too little of him, but now I see that ya'll are given the man too much credit, how in the hell is he supposed to forgive us after the way we've treated him?"

She was standing now, showing her fury to all of them, challenging anyone to question her words. A few thought to placate her, Logan only nodded his approval, he had gotten tired of her self pity, but Jean wasn't about to let the fight go that easy.

"You're yelling at us like we are all against him Rogue, were not, were just trying to figure out what's going on. Don't pretend to separate yourself from us now that he's back, you had as much a part to play in this as any of us, or have you already forgotten?"

"I ain't forgot nothin Jean, but at least I'm willin to forgive him and give him what he asked for, the one thing that we shoulda been given him all along, he's just askin for a little trust."

This wasn't what Jean was trying to accomplish, she really didn't dislike Gambit, she just wanted things sorted through clearly before they made any relevant decisions.

"I understand, and I agree with you, I'm just suggesting that whatever we do, we do with full knowledge of what were getting into."

"Rogue's right Jean, we need to show Gambit that we trust him, that's the only way that he will volunteer any information to us. You all know that he's never going to tell us anything if we keep prodding him for it, it's like he takes offense to it."

"I don't understand what you're saying Scott, are you saying that the way we find out what's going on is to ignore the situation."

"Basically, think about it. Has anyone ever gotten a straight answer from Gambit when they've questioned him? I Know I haven't, he just side steps the question. But looking back anytime that their was relevant information that pertained to anything important he always told us if we needed to know, and if we didn't need to know it was because he took care of the problem himself. We just need to trust that if it's anything important Gambit will let us know."

It was a valid point; everyone in the room saw some small truth in his words. They were far from satisfied with it but they could see no other options, they knew that they could never pry information from Remy so this was their only option.

"Scott is right, assuming that Remy has anymore idea of what is happening than we do. Consider this a standing order; no one is to pressure Remy about what he has done since the trial. For one it is none of our business, at the time he was not an X-man and no longer considers himself one. Additionally he will be treated and hold the same privileges as if he were still a member of the team. Are there any questions?"

There were nothing but questions, but no one spoke out. They all respected Xavier's decision but there were some who would find it difficult to follow.

"Very well, then you are all dismissed, thank you."

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: "Even as we speak The First's horseman flies toward The One planning his death, he has a powerful ally in Sinister, I fear that he will succeed. If he does then it is only a matter of time until The First completes his conquest of this world".

"It is not possible. He does not have the power nor the means to end the life of The One, only The First himself has such power, it is the terms of the wager that was made."

: "Are you certain, already he has come close to death on numerous occasions, he was on the precipice when you yourself pulled him back."

"This is true, however it was only of his own volition that he was at that point, the only other one besides The First who has the power to send him to death is himself. He now knows that he has a purpose to serve on this world, he will not willingly slide into non-existence again."

: "Will he have access to his full powers when the final confrontation begins?"

"He already has access to them, the question is will he realize it?"

: "Will he?"

"That is quite sometime from now, it is hard to say, but already they are expanding and he is accepting it, even embracing it in some aspects. If they continue to progress slowly he should have no problem adapting to his power."

: "And if they do not come to fruition in this manner? What if an event occurs that unleashes his full potential suddenly without warning?"

"Then we will have to hope that he is strong enough to control them."

: "Is he?"

"I would not have chosen him if he was not."

: "That is a convenient answer, what of the child of Xavier? You bestowed the power upon him yet he was not strong enough to control them."

"As I said, Legion was an anomaly who was victim to circumstance, it wasn't how much power he was given but the type, this one is different, these powers are more controllable and less subject to outside influence."

: "Yet Sinister has such an influence, you are aware of the virus he has constructed to negate The One's powers? If he is captured Sinister will surely destroy him if he does not use him for the designs of The First."

"Sinister had no idea of the power he is up against; his mortal means can do nothing against the powers of The One. He serves to gather the army for The First, but that is the extent of the role that he can play in this conflict."

: "Have you sensed a power not of this world drawing near? It is strong, as strong as mine or your own, yet I have never felt its presence before."

"I have felt it, and I have long expected it's presence to make the journey to this world."

"What is it? It is so different from any other I have felt."

"It is The Celestials, they have come to watch the end, I would not have expected them to miss it."

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He had reached the point where consciousness and oblivion come together, where today's memories would not be differentiated from hallucinations or dreams; he was drunk.

He stumbled out of the bar, wary of his own inebriation but hardly caring, this is who he had become, this was his life now and he accepted it. Shunned, alone, simply a tool of his own mechanizations, accomplishing whatever task he wanted to complete with emotionless efficiency, drinking was only a means to an end to meet the goals of his new lifestyle.

The ride back to the mansion was filled with far less thought than the ride out; he had to use all of his mental energy just to concentrate on keeping on the road. When he arrived at the mansion gate he realized that he didn't remember the code to open them. The ride had served to give him some time to sober up, he was still feeling some effects of his night out but most of his senses had returned. He dismounted his bike and walked over to the keypad, it had occurred to him that no one had cared to give him the new code to the gate, but it hardly mattered. He had broken mansion security a hundred times before, he used to do it for fun just to get a rise out of Bishop, but this time he was circumvented from his ways when the gates opened themselves. Still facing the keypad Remy felt a smile born from amusement form on his face.

"'ello pup, ain' it past your bedtime?"

"Aren't you a little old to be sneaking in past curfew?"

Same old story, same exchange, not much had changed between them, Remy was grateful for that small comfort at least.

"So you come to arrest me den eh?"

"Why? So you can break out as soon as I turn by back?"

"You cops don' ever learn, can' turn your back on a Lebeau."

That brought a rare smile to Bishops face, the usually stern man rarely engaged in banter, but he enjoyed it when the subject was as unpredictable as Remy.

"Welcome back old man, seems we didn't get a chance to talk before you left."

"Not much to say pup, mebbe we c'n postpone de reunion till another time eh? I t'ink dat I need to get some sleep."

"I think that you need to get back to the boathouse, If Ororo sees you like this she'll pitch a fit."

"She get over it, don' have no room for judgin me no more anyways."

"You hurt her Lebeau, she was worried about you. When you came back she was expecting you to be happy to see her, she's worse now than when you left."

"Am I s'pposed to feel guilty bout dat pup? What did ya wan' me to do? Oh dats ok chere, I don' mind dat no one came back for me, dat no one cared whether or not I lived or died, live and let live eh?"

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They faced each other now, one cool and composed the other brimming with unchecked rage. And in the distance an uninvited guest tried to pick up their words, to pick the right time for his strike. Lebeau looked distracted, but he had seen that ruse before, he was never distracted. He would have to time his attack perfect, he had not expected Lebeau to be accompanied by anyone but he would just have to deal with the unexpected ally. He recognized the man as Bishop, he had nothing against the man, in fact his master considered Bishop to be one of the strong. A powerful mutant who rarely showed emotion, perhaps after he was done with Lebeau he could collect Bishop and bring him back with him, his master would most likely overlook his unapproved foray if he brought back such a valuable asset.

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Something was wrong here; he stood facing a Remy who was full of rage, displaying his anger in a way that was unusual for him. He had seen him mad before, but not like this, it was uncontrolled and unlike him.

At the end of his tirade he paused, as if he was out of breath, but in-between his gasp for air he breathed silent words of warning.

"Were bein' watched pup, don' look but across de road in de tree line."

He raised his voice again for effect.

"An another t'ing, I don' need you spyin on me for de rest of dem traitors, don' come out here pretendin' friendship when you only wanna keep an eye on me!"

Clap...clap...clap...

He emerged from the treeline bringing his hands together in a slow exaggerated applause.

"Excellent performance traitor, you would have fooled almost anyone; anyone who wasn't used to your deceit anyways."

Bishop lowered his weapon in relief,

"Jesus Angel, you scared the crap outta us, where the hell have you been? We thought that you had been captured at the facility with Betsy."

Archangel only gave him a cold calculating smile, aware of the fact that he knew something that they didn't, but that they soon would.

"Don' lower dat weapon jus' yet mon ami, he ain' right."

"Bravo traitor, your perception of the obvious never ceases to amaze me, after all it truly takes evil to recognize the same."

"What are you talkin bout Warren? We ain' got no quarrel."

"I beg to differ traitor."

Warren jumped to the air and took flight, just as Remy had expected, he was ready for him. He dropped into a crouch and prepared to let loose the card that he had prepared for the moment he was anticipating. His movements were lightning quick, but Bishop was a trained solider and caught his arm before he could complete the motion, giving Warren a temporary reprieve.

"What are you doing Remy?"

"Merde pup! your a damn fool!"

Those were the last words that Bishop heard before a paralyzing fletching from Warren's wings caught him in the throat and sent him to unconsciousness, the blood that squirted from his neck splattered against Remy's face, the distraction it provided almost resulted in Remy befalling the same fate, but his senses screamed at him to execute a roll out of the way.

He dove over Bishops fallen body and rose to his feet, drawing out his staff in one fluid movement in enough time to deflect several metal projectiles that were traveling close to the speed of bullets. The loud clang of metal on metal resonated in the air as the two stared into each others eyes and came to an understanding, if one fell then that would mean certain death, this was no sparring match but a fight to the finish.

Warren had lost the advantage of surprise, Remy knew he was coming now and could play the game his way. He feinted right but moved to his left, running for cover that would provide him with protection from the rain of projectiles that were falling toward him, he unleashed a handful of cards while completing the maneuver that barely missed their target.

This could shape up to be a long battle if not for the taunts that Warren threw at him as a reminder.

"It looks like one of my darts hit a vain Traitor, he won't have long to live if he keeps bleeding like that, not that you care though."

That caused Remy to pause in his maneuvers, a mistake that almost proved costly as several more metal darts ripped through the material of his trench coat. He could no longer play his game of cat and mouse waiting for his opportunity to strike; Bishop did not have the time.

"What do you wan' wit me eh? Let's get dis over wit'."

"Honestly Lebeau, Sinister had talked you up to be much more of a challenge, this is almost too easy."

Remy dodged another barrage of fletchings, these were travelling slower than the rest, he wasn't about to question his good fortune as they landed with a thud behind him. He looked up to track his assailant to find a smirking adversary looking smugly down at him. He was confused at first, but it all became clear when an explosion behind him where the darts had landed sent him flying forward. He didn't need his eyes to see what was happening next, he felt it as clearly as he was watching the scene as an observer. He probably would have dodged the next dart, this one fired from a gun, but the excess of alcohol that he had drank slowed his reflexes and he took the shot on the shoulder as he tried to roll out of the way. Angel brought himself down to the ground a mere 20 ft. from where Remy lay on the ground. He had expected to be paralyzed or sent into a tranquilized induced slumber, but the dart did little but provide him with a sharp pain where it stabbed into his skin.

"Your time has come Lebeau, you will pay for what you did to me, for what you did to the morlocks, and it will be by my hand."

His eyes were wild; he was heightened into frenzy by his own hate, the evil laugh that protruded forth from his mouth brought chills shuddering through Remy's spine, chills followed by an intense Anger.

"Fuck you you dumb son of a bitch, you were de one dat was weak, you were de one who couldn't resist Appocalypse, I ain' gunna pay for y'r own guilt, I gotta enough of m'own."

"Pity, you have no choice in the matter, the dart that you have been hit by carries a virus that was designed by Sinister's own hand, it will render your powers ineffective, you are nothing but cargo to me now to be taken back to my master, and back to Sinister to be experimented on."

If Warren would have simply shot Remy with another dart he could have had him. He could have sent him into a non-resistive state of slumber and easily brought him back with him. But he didn't, he had to gloat over him for his victory to be complete, he had to know that Remy went into darkness with the knowledge of what was to come, and that he was the reason for it.

His words had that effect, but they also served another purpose, to elevate his anger to another level, past the level of regret or pity, it made him forget his guilt and all associations that his actions had with it. The virus had already began to take effect, but even as Remy saw the night that was usually as bright as day to him start to dim, the movement of everything about him slow to a standstill and the power that was always ready for him to command at his fingertips start to slowly recede back into his core, he felt something snap. Something that usually served to constrain him, the barrier that he used to govern his actions and validate realities existence ceased to exist for him; he knew no truth of natural law except the one that existed in his mind. As if in slow motion he felt it reverse, it was all coming back to him. He felt the movement again, he saw the light that was hidden within the darkness of night and the power began to circulate freely through him again. Except it didn't stop there, the normal bounds had been broken, he now felt so much more. The movements were sharper and more crisp, he could see without looking, not just feel but see, and he felt the power that circulated within him extend to everything around him, organic and inorganic it made no difference, and it begged him to command it.

Remy stood to his feet, his face a mask of non feeling expression that promised action and reprisal. Warren pondered this latest turn of events; he had not expected Remy to challenge him again without his powers, without his agility he could not hope to dodge his attacks, so he tested his theory. He let loose one last barrage of paralytic darts from his wings that were aimed with the intent of bringing down Remy with the finality of revenge.

Warren was right in his assumption that Remy couldn't dodge his attack; or rather he was accurate in the assumption that he wouldn't dodge his attacks. Instead he saw his darts explode in mid air between himself and Remy, never coming close to the intended target. He was confused because they were not the fletchings he had been recently granted that were designed to explode, by all accounts Lebeau should be laying on the ground unconscious.

His confusion soon turned to agony, he felt his anger and hate multiply tenfold, it was twisted and turned, manipulated into something much stronger and more pure, then turned back on him, his own emotions were being used against him. The pain filled his senses and was so deafening that he couldn't manage to do anything but writhe on the ground, clutching at his head as if to somehow rip the pain from his mind.

Remy had been slowly walking toward him the entire time, the intensity of his attack increasing with each step. He was becoming lost in his own power, caught up in the same emotions that he was using against Warren. They were powerful, a devastating weapon to use, and he was experiencing them as if they were his own. This only served to drive him harder, to inflict more pain until he had destroyed his target. A gasp from the ground drew his attention away and he remembered Bishop. He ran to his side to check his pulse, it was faint but still present. A glance back over at Warren saw him taking to the air in retreat, he considered pursuit, he considered charging him while he was in mid flight and ending his miserable existence, but he thought it better to let him deliver this message back to his master, Remy Lebeau was not to be taken lightly, he was best left alone or avoided completely.

Remy hoisted Bishop over the back of his bike and sped him back to the mansion, the others would no doubt be interested in what had just happened, but how much would he tell them? Besides himself and Warren only bishop was present, and he didn't see what happened. In his short time of thought he decided it was best to keep this development to himself, the revelation of his new power would only cause more questions, more prodding and study of his anatomy, he would not be a tool for someone else's use again. So many secrets, but they were his secrets and his to keep, if they didn't like it then he would be more than happy to leave.

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"Bring him to me, we have much to discuss"

"Yes my lord."

He grew tired of this charade, every time he bowed to Apocalypse in the guise of a servant he felt intense anger sear through the back of his mind, it took all of his control not to act on it. He only found solace in the fact that their plans were progressing on schedule, and so far with few deviations that they could not handle.

Sinister walked into the cell that had held Betsy Braddock and spoke.

"He would see you now."

The body of Betsy turned to regard him, black soulless eyes surveyed him before the words escaped the lips, a voice that didn't belong to something as elegant as the mouth they came from spoke.

"I suppose I could continue torturing Braddock's mind at a later time, hopefully he has a more suitable form for me to possess, I long to destroy this one."

"He will soon, I assure you."

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In one motion Remy skidded his bike to a halt on the driveway to the mansion and removed Bishop from the back.

"Merde Bish, you been gettin into 'enry's twinkies?"

He had lost a lot of blood, of all the places for that dart to hit it landed on his jugular. Remy circumvented politeness and kicked open the doors, no one was around so he did the only thing he could think of.

"Help! Someone get down here now!"

In a moment the foyer was filled with weary eyed X-men, when Beast saw the reason for the late night alert he quickly sprang to action and took Bishop from Remy's grasp.

"How long Remy?"

"I dunno know, five, mebbe ten minutes at de most."

"He's lost a lot of blood, I need to get him to the med lab now."

Beast disappeared down the hall on his way to the med lab, an unconscious bishop was being carried over his shoulder. Remy turned to follow but felt a hand grab his shoulder from behind. He wasn't so far removed from his battle with angel that the move didn't catch him by surprise; he turned knocking the hand away and brought his other hand into his duster reaching for his staff. His instincts automatically went for the close quarters weapon, there was a time when he wouldn't have reacted this way, at least not inside the mansion, but those times were long past.

His movements caught Scott by surprise, he was only trying to get his attention, in hindsight he thought that a verbal announcement would have been better.

"Easy Gambit, I just want to know what happened."

Remy surveyed the faces in the room, there were no threats in their postures, Logan was on a slight edge but that was to be expected, it was his natural demeanor.

"I was comin' back f'rm downtown, Bish met me at de gates to de mansion to let me in. We was havin' a chat when Angel attacked us out de tree line 'cross de street. Saw it comin' too, but Bish let his guard down cause he thought dat Angel was still himself, so he didn' even see de dart comin' till it was buried in his throat."

Bobby shot him an incredulous look, not quite believing what he had just heard.

"Angel, as in Warren?"

"Did I stutter, you know another blue skinned freak wit metal wings dat shoot darts? Seems dat your ol' friend is back wit Apocalypse workin' as death again."

"An were supposed to believe that! Especially coming from someone who smells like they just climbed out of a bottle of whiskey?"

"Watch it icicle, or you gunna be keepin' Bishop company tonight."

No one quite knew how to take the news, some were skeptical, they knew how much Warren hated Apocalypse, the thought of Warren ever going back to serving him was hard to believe.

"Gambit, are you sure that he was death? How could you know for certain?"

"Well Jean, unless he had darts dat shot f'rm his wings and exploded before he left I t'ink it's pretty safe to say dat he's had a few upgrades, dat an' de whole 'I'm takin you back to my master' tirade kinda tipped me off."

This was a blow to the team that they were not ready for, they had just gotten Xavier back yet it seemed as if they had lost another one of their own to an evil that was beyond their control. They all wanted to believe that they were beyond that, that they were too loyal to one another to fall victim to such manipulations. If it would have just been Remy that had been attacked it would have been easier to deal with, it was no secret that Warren hated Remy with a misplaced passion, but he attacked Bishop and as far as they knew nearly killed him.

It hit Scott hardest of all, not because they were particularly close, but because he had finally thought that things were on their way to getting back to normal, he couldn't let things spiral out of control again when they were so close to returning to the way they were.

"Ok people, we need to figure out what were going to do here, we need to find Warren and work on a way to get him back to us."

"What de fuck is all dis we shit eh? You need to figure out a way to find Warren, I don' give a coons ass bout dat sorry son of a bitch, in fact next time I see him I'm gunna show him what bein' death really means."

Surprisingly no one was shocked by Remy's words, they all believed that they were caused by frustration and remnants of the battle that he had just fought, no one truly thought that he meant them.

"Remy, you do not mean that, Warren is still an X-man and needs our help".

Ororo was answered with a sardonic laugh.

"You don' get it do you 'Ro, ya Warren still be an X-man, true enough. But I ain' an X-man no more, I don' owe him nothin, an' I don' owe de rest of you notin either."

He meant every word he said, but there was more meaning behind those words than what was spoken, meaning that the others were starting to pick up on. This was not the first time that Warren had turned to serve Apocalypse, but they were willing to rush back into the foray to save him without a second thought and no doubt welcome him back with open arms, even after he had attempted to kill one of their own, two if they still counted Remy.

Remy had never done anything for them but lay his life on the line, yet at the first opportunity they had he was left for dead, no second chances for him only condemnation, the hypocrisy of it made him sick. This had already gone too far, he couldn't' let it continue because he knew where it would lead. He had been down this road before with them, and with so many others, just because he came back they assumed that all was on its way to being well again, just like he knew they would. He didn't want to see any of them hurt, he still held latent feelings for most of them, but he would not allow them to use him, not again.

" I need to see de professor, been here to long already, de sooner we get dis situation wit Sinister solved the sooner I c'n get de hell outta here."

"I need to see him too Gumbo, mind if I tag along?"

He thought about rebuking him, he thought about telling Logan to go fuck himself despite the obvious consequences it would have on his health, but in reality he didn't really harbor any ill will toward him. He had spent to much time around Logan and knew the kind of man that he was, he was honorable to a fault and would never condone what was done to him, if he had thought Remy deserved to die he would have said as much, then attempted to do the job himself.

"Fine by me, as long as you gimme one of dem cigars to smoke in his office jus' so I c'n piss him off."

That comment earned him a confused pause, followed by a raucous laugh that served to alleviate the tension of the situation. Remy and Logan turned to walk down the hallway to the professor's office when Jean offered them word on Bishops condition.

"Hank just told me that Bishop is going to be fine."

They both paused and looked over their shoulders, neither offered any words but continued down the hall to their destination, if Remy cared he didn't show it.

"You keep fightin this like ya don't want it Gumbo, I ain't buyin it".

Remy was silent, intensely focused on his own anger that he refused to let slip away, it was the only thing that was keeping him from making the same mistakes he had been making his whole life.

"Look, I aint sayin that you should give everyone a big hug and forgive and forget, but you can't keep avoidin the issue."

'What de hell?'

That got his attention.

"Avoid de issue? What de hell you talkin bout homme? How many ways c'n I tell dem all dat I ain' comin back an dat I won' never forgive dem for what they did?"

Wolverine stopped his movement and let loose a low guttural growl.

"Can the crap Cajun. That's bullshit and you know it. Ya, I'll give you that, you've made your feelin's clear enough, but ya ain't even said why. Ya said that you were pissed cause they left you in Antarctica, no shit who wouldn't be? But ya still ain't told them why it pissed you off, was it cause it was cold, was it cause you don't think ya deserved it, was it cause they didn't even bother to leave ya an extra pack of smokes? You keep dancin 'round the real issue it ain't never gunna get solved.

Remy pondered this for a moment, he knew Logan had hit on something true here, but he didn't want to admit it, to himself or anyone else.

"What makes you so sure dat I wan't de issue to get solved? Mebbe I'm fine wit t'ings jus' de way dey are an' I'm content to go my seperate way when dis is over wit."

"Hmpf, ya and maybe I'll go get sabertooths body and set up a nice funeral so I can shead tears of sorrow over his grave. Which reminds me.."

Logan reached into his jacket and produced a cigar for Remy and himself.

"Here, I owe ya this much at least, you gotta tell me about it Cajun, what happened?"

Remy took measure of Logan, he saw the intense hatred for someone who was already dead burning in his eyes, it occurred to him that the cruelest thing that he could have done to him would be to hold back that information.

"It wasn't notin' spectacular, no great battle or notin' like dat. I sniped him from across de street outta a hotel window, he saw me jus' before I pulled de trigger though, so he knew it was me. Woulda finished him off dere too but de rest of m'team showed up an' we had to transport him back to de facility, Sinister wanted him alive, probly so he could use him for whatever sick plan he got lined up next. I could't keep going though, know that he was still livin, not after de t'ings he's done."

Logan nodded in understanding.

"So when I was pullin de job dat I was dere for I snuck down into de cells an' found him dere, he was strapped down to de table an he couldn' move, so I walked up to him and shoved a knife into his brain, den to make sure he wouldn' be comin back I charged it up and blew his head off. Basically I murdered him."

Logan nodded again, this time in approval.

"That was more than he deserved Cajun, ya coulda tortured him from then till the end of time and it still wouldn't have been enough to make up for the sufferin he's caused. Don't ever let anyone tell you what you did was wrong, cause it weren't."

They continued the rest of the short walk to Xavier's office in silence, each contemplating their own feelings on Sabertooth and the fate that he ended up with, when they were outside the door about to enter Wolverine pressed him further.

"You know that your going to have to do it sooner or later."

"I know mon ami, but I don't know what I'm gunna say to her yet, I can' forgive her, but I can' leave t'ings like dey are between us."

That answer seemed to placate Logan's line of questioning and he let the matter drop. Remy knew that he had given more information about his presence at the facility than he had originally intended, but he also knew that eventually it would all come out sooner or later, he didn't mind Logan knowing anyways, he wasn't the type to go and spread the knowledge around, he would let Remy reveal it to who he wanted to when he wanted to.

Remy felt a slight buzzing in his head and knew that Xavier was trying to communicate with them, Logan turned to look at him.

"Well you goin in or what?"

They entered one after the other into Xavier's Study, the man was sitting behind his desk as usual with a concerned look over his face, he had barely been back a couple days before he was dealing with another catastrophe. It was easy to see that the events of late were taking a heavy toll on the wearied man.

"Honestly Remy, I don't know why you persist in blocking my telepathic communication."

Mockingly he answered..

"Honestly professor, it's cause I don't want none of y'r X-men sneakin 'round in m' head."

"Please sit down, what brings you two here?"

He didn't know; he never bothered to ask Logan why he had decided to come or what business he had with Xavier, he certainly didn't expect to have this conversation in front of him but he was till here all the same.

"I just came with the Cajun Chuck, I ain' sure what he wanted to talk to you about, but I figured it would be interesting."

Xavier raised his eyebrows at this, he wouldn't force Logan to leave, but he doubted that Remy would be as open with him while Logan was in the room.

'Merde, don' matter anyways I guess'.

"You were right, Sinister is after me, and from what dat batard Angel tol' me so is Appocalypse."

His brow creased and he rubbed the frustration from his eyes.

"I see. I don't suppose you know why?"

The chess game had began, to minds pitted against each other in a match of will and strategy. Remy held the advantage, he had the control over what was revealed and when it was revealed, Xavier could only hope to pry as much information from him as he could, and Xavier knew that he would only get what Remy decided to give. He had dealt with him in this fashion before, he knew that Remy would not slip and would never make a mistake in this verbal sparring match, he had to convince him that he wanted to give the information, that in itself would be a monumental task. Both were experienced in this game, Xavier from a psychologist standpoint, Remy because his life had so often depended on his ability to withhold or attain information. Xavier was smarter from an academic standpoint, but Remy knew people, he knew them from experience, expressions and tendencies were tied to the emotions that he read with his mutant power, and he had memorized and catalogued every occurrence. Xavier had the same benefit, he had often caught stray surface thoughts and the expressions that accompanied them, however when he was dealing with Remy he was blind, he couldn't read his thoughts and he was a master of deception, he would gain nothing from his expressions.

Xavier made the opening move, trying to make Remy play his game.

"I have not yet had the chance to properly thank you yet Remy. I owe you a great debt of gratitude for saving my life, there is no telling what would have happened to me had it not been for you."

A feint, trying to keep his true motives hidden until he was ready to reveal them.

"I was already on m'way out, figured I might as well take you wit me, it was no problem."

Parried, he wouldn't reveal his true emotions on the subject, he cast the air of nonchalance, that he didn't have to put forth any great effort to rescue Xavier, he stayed noncommittal.

"So do you know why Sinister or Apocalypse is interested in you?"

"Non, I was hopin dat you could tell me, you were in de facility de longest, figured dey might have tol' you sometin."

Keep him on the defensive, make him answer the questions and he won't be able to ask his own, one that he didn't want to answer.

"He did tell me that I was only one piece to his plan, and that he was close to gaining the others, perhaps you were one of the other pieces he was after?"

"Mebbe, mebbe it was Betsy an' Warren an' he already got dem, mebbe Remy jus' a bonus, might need somet'in stolen."

"Perhaps, but I do not think that we can discount the theory."

Logan watched the exchange with interest, he wasn't exactly sure what was going on, just that there was a whole lot of bullshit being thrown around at once. He didn't realize the thought and strategy that was being put behind every phrase.

"Tell me Remy, do you truly not want to come back to the Team, you know that you will always have a place here."

Misdirection, trying to find an opening in his defenses, Remy was caught off guard for a moment at the comment, and at its true sincerity.

"I 'preciate de offer professor, but I don' t'ink were der yet."

"I understand."

Silence, they each calculated their next move in the verbal exchange.

"Guess der is only one way to fin' out den, mebbe instead of waitin for dem to come get me I should go to dem."

Xavier paused to consider this, he wasn't exactly sure what Remy meant at first.

"What did you have in mind Remy?"

"Sinister has Besty, Warren dere too, and he wants Remy, how else you plannin on gettin in dere to save em? Ain' exactly like you even know where to start lookin', an even if you did you couldn' hope to get past all de security, not wit out loosin' some more X-men. So you let Remy go in undercover, den he come out wit em, jus' like at de facility."

He offered that last piece of information as a peace offering, he let Xavier know that he had not been in league with Sinister when he was at the facility.

"No, it's too dangerous and I can't allow it, I can't afford to loose anymore X-men."

"Ha, Professor, I don't t'ink you understand, I wasn' askin' you if I could, I was tellin' you dat I was gunna."

The Gambit, sacrificing one valuable piece to win the game, it had been played perfectly, Xavier was completely thrown off his original line of questioning, and at the same time he was reminded that he was never even a factor in this exchange, Remy knew where it was going to end all along.

"How do you plan on accomplishing this yourself?"

"I don', that's why when I get in an' find em de X-men are gunna come and help wit de extraction."

It was an incomplete plan at the best, but it was the only option that they had.

"How do you plan on infiltrating their base? Like you said we don't even know where it is, and even if you did I doubt you could just go knock on the door without causing suspicion."

"Leave dat to me, de less you know de better, I don' need anyone interferin an gettin me killed, which is why no one is gunna know about dis outside de folks in de room."

"You can't expect us to keep this secret Remy, people will notice when you disappear and they will start to ask questions as to your whereabouts."

"I expect dem to, but your gunna have an answer, de one answer dat dey will be sure to believe."

Logan leaned in, anxious to hear the rest of Remy's plan, he was expecting something intricate, after hearing some of the stories people told about Gambit, Logan had developed a begrudging respect for his reputation and some part of him had wanted to be apart of one of his operations.

"And what would that be?"

"You gunna tell dem dat Gambit's a traitor."

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The End, hope you enjoyed it.

P.s., just kidding.