"Can I get you anything?"

"Why don' you tell me d'at, Chere?" Gambit responded with a grin, looking over to the coctail waitress on the other side of the bar.

A soft giggle was all he got in response. (Not to mention the envious looks from the men around him.)

Your name is Remy LeBeau.. and, like it or not, you're in love. (But don't let that get out. It'd ruin your reputation in a heartbeat.)

It's happened to you before, and it's happened again. But there's no doubt in your mind that nothing will come from it. What could?

So you waste your time flirting with all the local waitresses.

You're also Gambit, member of the outlaw band of mutants known as the X-Men. You've recently returned after a... trip. You were staying in Antarctica. Leave it at that. It's a subject you don't care to go into anytime soon, that's for sure.

Who could blame you? The woman you love was forced to absorb your memories with something you'd desired for ages---a simple kiss. What she discovered was your greatest secret.

You formed the Marauders, the band of murderous scum responsible for the Mutant Massacre.

You worked for one of the X-Men's greatest foes, Mr. Sinister.

Eventually, they would have found out.. you knew that. The consequences weren't important. But damn, it was cold...*

(* All of this was revealed in Marvel's Uncanny X-Men #350 -- Dino)

..But, obviously, to reiterate.. You're back.

"Maybe I can get ya phone number, no?" Remy charmed in, gazing at the woman across from him with his eyes.

"Perhaps, I can get yours, old friend?" A voice called.

...Storm.

"Ororo?" Gambit turned, meeting the eyes of his old friend. "What're ya doin' here?"

"One could ask the same of you, Remy," Ororo Munroe--Also known as the X-Men's Storm--replied. "We should both be training right now."

"Guess so," he nodded. "What's your point? Dis cajun's takin' some well deserved time off from de Danger Room.."

"I realize Charles has been overworking us as of late, Remy, but--"

"--If you all worried about it, why ain't ya d'ere y'self?"

"..I, too, needed the time off."

LeBeau chuckled some. "How'd ya know I was here?"

"I made an assumption," Storm replied. "Warren came to me, notifying me that he had saw you leaving the grounds."

Gambit stiffened at the mention of Warren Worthington III, the high flying Angel. Ultimately, Gambit was responsible for the man losing his wings long ago.. despite the fact that he now has them back.

Ororo noticed this, and quickly changed the subject. "I'm actually glad on how this worked out."

Gambit shifted his eyebrow structure, raising one above the other. "Oh?"

Storm took a seat at the chair next to him, and the waitress left, feeling defeated. "Yes," she said simply, and looked to him. "Since your return, we've been.."

"..Distant as hell?"

"For lack of better terminology," she spoke.

"Sorry 'bout dat.. Ain't really felt all d'at close ta any o' de X-Men as o' late."

"Remy.. in the few times we've had a chance to speak of this.. I've told you, I feel responsible for--"

"Were ya d'ere, Stormy?"

"No, Remy, but.."

"..D'ere ain' no buts, d'en. Ya weren't d'ere ta make de decision. An' ya couldn't a done much 'bout it, anyways.."

"That's not true, and you know it," Storm argued. "As one of the X-Men's leaders, I am responsible for losing you.."

"I ain' lost, 'Ro.. I'm right here," Gambit smiled.

Letting out a sigh, Munroe continued. "If I had been there..."

"All in de past. On to de future, non?"

"For now, this conversation stops.. But it is far from over, Remy."

"Right."

"There are other matters at hand, you know.."

Looking to her, it didn't take much to read her face. She was talking about the one he loved. Just like old times, Ororo could read him like a book... He loved Rogue, and she knew it. Which meant, obviously, he had to change the subject.

"Somet'ins been on m'mind since I came back.."

"What would that be, old friend?"

"..How you an'I would work t'gether when we alone, Stormy.."

"What do you mean?"

"Ya about t'find out!"

Gambit leapt from his chair, tackling Storm to the ground. The chairs broke apart, shards of the wooden work flying all around them. People scattered.

The two X-Men stumbled up, somewhat in shock, coming face to face with a silver robot. It's voice spoke, "Gambit: Surrender yourself or die."

"What is this creature, Remy?!"

"...Don' know, Stormy, but it's about ta learn who we are, no?!" With that, three kinetically charged cards were flying through the air at the robot.

As it neared the being, however, they simply stopped.. and returned to their roots; becoming simple cards once more! "..Hmph. D'at ain' ever happened b'fore," Remy commented on his misfortune.

The mechanical structure's white eyes glew as it looked onward, and began to levitate towards the two. Gambit quickly pulled his staff from his trench coat, and extended it into the fierce weapon. As he swung at the robot, it grabbed the staff; pulling Remy forward and snapping it in two. Gripping LeBeau's shoulders with hook-like extentions, the robot saw to it that Gambit's body was full of electrical bursts.

He fell to the ground, unconcious.

"Gambit!"

Jean-Luc LeBeau has seen many things in his life. He's survived for ages, and acomplished many things. One of those things would be raising his adoptive son---Remy LeBeau.

One element in his life is missing, however. Candra is gone; and the guilds are in chaos because of it. LeBeau versus Marceaux. Bourdois versus Avanaults. Why is Candra so important? Because of her dissapearance.. the clan's immortality has dwindled.

"Ya've been poisoned, Jean-Luc," Tante Mattie spoke softly, "Ya can't be out here doin' all dis."

Jean-Luc LeBeau was a stubborn man.. and she knew this, because despite how terrible he felt.. he was out going about his regular business.

"I 'ave faith in m'boy in savin' me, ol' friend," Jean-Luc informed her, "An' I ain' dead yet.. I trust ya sent word ta Remy?"

"O' course," She replied with a sigh. Walking out of the room, she mumbled to herself. "Hurry, Remy..."

Thick coils erupted from compartments of the robot, pulling Remy close. They wrapped around the cajun, and kept him near. Suddenly, the robot blasted upward through the roof, and into the air.

"I will not lose you again, my friend!" Storm vowed, following bravely. "Release him!"

The robot offered no response, Remy attached to it, facing Storm as if to mock her. He blasted through the air, and once it detected Storm, sped up.

"Perhaps I can not catch you," Storm spoke to herself, "But you can not escape nature!" Using her mutant ability, Storm called forth vicious winds, which knocked the robot from the sky.

Without hesitation, she flew down after Remy, who was regaining conciousness. The robot slammed into a building with LeBeau, bricks swarming the innocent crowd below. With more wind control, Ororo saved them. Despite all that, she still could hear the word 'mutant' used in a less than tasteful way from the crowd.

Landing in the building, she looked on to find Gambit stumbling up; no sight of the robot. "He went d'at'a way.." LeBeau spoke, pointing to yet another hole in the opposite side of the building.

"How are you, my friend? Are you harmed?"

With that, Ororo moved forward until she reached Gambit. She quickly gripped him, being his support. "Not'in' d'at won' heal, Stormy.."

..then he mumbled.

"I hope."

4:27 AM, the Mansion

"Going somewhere?" Warren Worthington, the Angel, spoke with a bitter tone.

LeBeau turned, "Yah."

"I'm sure the Professor wouldn't mind knowing where, then, Gambit. Considering you missed a session today, already."

"Last time I checked, mon ami, dis wasn't no prison."

"..Which is where YOU belong, LeBeau!" Warren erupted, glaring at Gambit. "It's because of you the Morlocks were slaughtered!"

Gambit's eyes narrowed. "You sure d'at's de only reason you so bitter 'bout it? I was a different man back den, Worthington.. I tol' ya I was--"

"--Your apologies are irrelevant, Gambit! You shouldn't be here! You're not worthy of being an X-Ma--"

"What makes you so high an' mighty, Warren?! If ah don't recall, ya haven't always been th' perfect X-Man ya damn self!" Rogue erupted, making her appearance from a nearby room. Her door slammed shut behind her. "Ya know Gambit's a different person now-! He's changed-!"

"Who are you trying to convince, Rogue?! Me, or YOURSELF?"

"I ain' got time for dis. Ciao!" Gambit said bitterly, opening the window behind him and flipping out backwards. He landed firmly on the ground outside. Dressed in full gear, Gambit walked towards the gate.

Rogue soon flew down infront of him, "Remy.."

"I don' wanna talk 'bout dis now, Chere. Go back ta bed."

"When DO you wanna talk about this, Remy? We've tried talking.. We've worked things out.. for the most part.."

"We ain' talked, Chere. We been busy avoidin' each other b'tween battles wit' whoever decides de wanna make de word mutant worse.. An' we ain' gonna talk now." Gambit walked on, not even looking at her as he walked by.

She quickly flew after him, and landed; walking beside him. "Gambit, don't do this, Sugah!"

"Do WHAT? All's I'm doin' is headin' out for awhile.."

"Ya're jus' gonna drive us further apart!" Rogue cried out, finally letting her emotions out. "Do ya really want that?!"

"I know what I wan', Chere.." Gambit spoke. "I wan' you.."

They both stopped walking, and there was a moment of silence. They only stared at each other for a moment, before Gambit started walking once more.

Rogue didn't follow.

11:39 AM, New Orleans

"Ya can find Jean-Luc in 'is room, Remy," Tante Mattie informed him. "He be in a heap a trouble dis time, youngin'.. s'a good thing you came when you did. I hope we c'n catch up later.. Go help ya father."

"T'anks, Tante," Gambit replied, making his way to his father's room. Once there, he was shocked to find LeBeau laying on his bed, as if he were already dead.

"Remy?" Jean-Luc spoke, sitting up. "Glad ya could make it.. Y'dunno how much d'is is gonna help out."

"What is it? Ya know I got a life now, Pops.."

"Ya always had a life, boy," his father smiled, "For as long as I could remember, always runnin' out meetin' de girls, an' all.."

"Wha's wrong?"

"De guild is in total dissaray, Remy.. an' Candra's gone. Our immortality ain' what it used ta be.. M'old, Remy. Ain' what I used ta be, even when we had Candra. Y'ar, though, an' ya know it.."

"..You wan' me t'steal somet'in'?" Gambit asked, knowing his father all too well.

"..Somet'in's, Remy."

The two men exchanged looks, and finally, Jean-Luc spoke once more.

"I knew ya wouldn' let me down."

NEXT ISSUE: Why were Remy and Ororo attacked? What exactly does Jean-Luc want Remy to do.. and can Gambit find it in himself to do it? The answers to these questions and more in 30!