Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~This story takes place way before the events of the Loki series and the Deadpool and Wolverine movie ~

Gambit cracked open his eyes to brightly colored light streaming in through the stained glass window beside him. It was one of a few windows facing out toward the surface and depicted the image of a biblical person dressed in flowing robes and holding a cross—a saint, perhaps, he didn’t know.

He groaned and turned over to face the other way, hugging a pillow to his chest. The worn mattress under him was lumpy, sagging, and smelt musty. Despite being exhausted, he spent an uncomfortable, fitful night without much sleep. The handmade bedframe under it creaked with his every movement right down to the creaky flooring, which didn’t help. Every time he turned over, he was certain everyone within earshot could hear it. Stealth was not an option in this place, that was for sure. He got more sleep on the cot in the prison cell back at the TVA. Being in the strange new place known as The Void also didn’t help his situation, either. While lying awake during the night listening to the horrific noises outside, he questioned the TVA’s morals even more—how they were able to send people to a place like this without thought.

As he lay there, attempting to grasp this new reality, his sleep-laden eyes wandered over the small, cramped room that was packed with boxes, crates, and other miscellaneous stuff. It was his second day staying in the old church. President Loki and No Eyes Loki brought him here to share the shelter after he arrived in The Void. It already felt like such a long time ago that he was at the TVA and self-pruned himself, which was a bit ironic because the Lokis had explained to him there was no form of time here. Naturally, since it was located at the end of time where time hadn’t yet been written. Whatever that meant. He was still trying to wrap his dizzy mind around it all. Understanding the technical babble of the concept of time wasn’t one of his strong suits. After he self-pruned himself, he ended up in a wasteland where survival was key, that’s all he understood.

All of a sudden, a dog barked somewhere outside his door.

A dog?

Gambit rolled over on his back and sighed. He already knew it was going to take a long time to get used to this new life. It was bad enough that he’d been dumped in a wasteland realm, but the company he’d already befriended was shaping up to be interesting. So far, he’d only met President Loki and No Eyes Loki. President Loki was an odd man, to say the least—full of himself and arrogant with an inflated ego attitude problem. No Eyes Loki was a lot different than the President when it comes to personality even though both were the same person, which was weird in itself. He seemed to be like a monk, although Gambit wasn’t sure how that was possible since President Loki had introduced them as the God of Mischief. He wasn’t familiar with mythology much, but he did remember reading something about Loki being a Norse god at some point in his life—probably in a book he’d scavenged from a dumpster in New Orleans. Mobius had spoken so highly of Loki when he was at the TVA, but neither of these Lokis matched his praise as far as Gambit was concerned. Although, No Eyes Loki was actually respectable and nice. Both of them had been out looking for supplies when they found him. The President had thrown a fit when No Eyes Loki invited him to stay with them and share their home but eventually gave in. They said there were three others in their group, but they were away for the time being. Out looking for a vampire is what President Loki said. Gambit didn’t like the sound of it. Hearing it instantly caused bad memories to flood his mind and reminded him that he was no longer at the TVA. He was here in The Void. It was anyone’s guess how many variants of Sinister were living in this place, sent here by the TVA. Gambit squeezed the pillow to his chest a little harder. He didn’t want to stay with the TVA, but now…he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t having second thoughts. At least there he was safe from the sadistic geneticist. What if Sinister found him? Worse yet, what if multiple Sinisters found him? Sinister variants—that was a nightmare he’d rather not think about. Gambit buried his face into the worn pillow provided for him by the other Lokis. Actually, it had been No Eyes Loki. He was the only one who had been hospitable enough to give him his own private room.

Pulling his thoughts away from Sinister, the Cajun thought over everything that had happened. He started this nightmarish journey by heading to New York to join the X-Men at Xavier’s institute, and then the TVA arrested him for committing a crime. According to them, choosing to join the X-Men was the crime. Mobius at the TVA had been the only one to help him through that ordeal—him and the little cartoon clock, Miss Minutes, who he deeply missed already. After learning about the horrors the TVA did—removing people from the Sacred Timeline if they made a choice the TVA didn’t approve of—he decided to prune himself to sever his connection with the tyrannical organization. Now, here he was in The Void at the end of time, sleeping in the back room of a tilted, crumbling church that was sunk partway into the ground. It was sunk at an angle so that one side was facing out. The variants using it as a shelter had done major reconstruction to the flooring to make it more level and easier to walk on without constantly losing your footing and sliding down to the sunken side of the building. It made the inside look awkward and topsy-turvy, but it helped to keep everyone on their feet and the furniture in one place.

Gambit’s eyes shifted to the tarnished brass lamp on the bedside table. He reached out and touched it and it came on. He touched it again and it grew brighter. What he didn’t understand was how a place like this could have electricity.

More barking met his ears. The clicking pitter-patter of little clawed feet was around his door, sniffing at the crack under it. There was scratching and clawing and a yip. Someone whistled and there was a skittering of claws and the dog was gone.

“Death!” a snarling voice shouted halfway down the hall. “Death to him! Murder!”

Gambit’s brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. The other members of the group must be back, he thought. But…who or what were they? More Lokis? Was that the dog talking?

The skittering claws ran back to his door to sniff around again.

“Die, mutant garbage! Murder you!” the snarling voice said as whoever or whatever it was clawed at the door.

Gambit sat upright in his bed and scowled toward the door. He knew he heard the sounds a dog would make, but now he wasn’t sure what it was. A mutant hater? What sick joke was this that life had dealt him? Surely he wasn’t unlucky enough to find himself in a group with a mutant hater.

He got out of bed, walked to the door, and listened. Something was still out there. He charged a playing card with pinkish-purple energy, dropped it on the floor, and slid it under the door with his foot. It made a small snap on the other side, like a firecracker, and a serious amount of frenzied barking followed.

“DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!” the voice screamed in between barks. “FILTHY DIPWAD! MURDER YOU!”

“Wha’ de?” Gambit studied the door.

“Come here! Over here!” someone shouted. It sounded like a kid’s voice. “Leave the new one alone.”

“He threw a bomb at me!”

“Serves you right. Get over here.”

The barking quieted and the clicking feet left. “I will hike my leg and pee on his door!”

“No, you won’t. Now, get your tail over here. Quiet down.”

“Thori will not be told what to do!”

Gambit’s face remained puzzled as he kept an ear to the door. A few minutes passed and silence finally fell. He sighed and returned to his bed.

“Ah dunno wha’ sorta mad house dis is, but migh’ as well go out dere an’ find out.” He picked up his coat and gloves and put them on. He had slept in the rest of his armor, not yet trusting his new comrades.

He opened the door cautiously and poked his head through the crack, scanning the floor for any signs of whatever it had been. Nothing there. He opened the door wider and stepped into the hall.

“Hi!”

Gambit’s eyes fell to the child sitting on the floor halfway down the hall—his back to the wall. He looked like a Loki, even had the horned crown, only he was the size of a five-year-old. Toy cars, dinosaurs, action figures, and Legos were spread out in front of him. Beside him was a battered red wagon. Sitting in it was a scruffy brown-black wolf pup no bigger than a silky terrier. At least, Gambit thought it was. The dog’s mouth was hanging open, panting, but there was a flaming vapor seeping out. It peered at him with glowing red eyes as if it could consume his soul with its stare alone. Despite himself, Gambit shuddered. He arched an eyebrow. Could that be what made the noise outside his door?

“I’m Loki,” the child said. “A variant, obviously.”

“Bonjour.” Gambit nodded. “De name’s Gambit.”

“Gambit,” the little Loki repeated. “I like that name. Is that your real name or is it a name you’re known by where you come from?”

“It de name ah’m known by, yah. My real name’s Remy. Remy LeBeau.”

Child Loki smiled. “You’re a mutant? The eyeless Loki said something about you being a mutant.”

“Ah am, yah.” He put his hands inside his coat pockets.

“You talk funny—different. Why?”

“Ah’m Cajun from N’awlins.”

“Is that on Midgard?”

A confused expression washed over Gambit’s face.

“Earth.”

“It’s on earth, yah. De southern part of America. Ah’m southern. Dat jus’ de way we talk dere.”

The dog yapped.

“Oh! This is Thori,” said the child Loki. “He’s a Hel-Hound. Don’t let him bother you, because he hates everyone. Sorry if he woke you up.”

“Darn right! Thori hate everyone equally,” said Thori with another yap. “And you can call me Deathripper! I am known across all realms as Deathripper!”

Gambit raised his eyebrows and looked at the pup again. “Did he jus’ talk?”

“Die!”

Gambit looked from Child Loki to Thori and back again.

“Die! Die! Die!” the pup snarled. “Thori kill mutant! Murder you!”

“He talks a lot. Mostly rubbish. Don’t take anything he says personally.”

“Go suck an egg, grunge face.”

“He don’ breathe fire do he? ‘Cause ah’ve had nuff of dat.”

Child Loki smirked knowingly and glanced at Thori. “Yeah, he breathes fire. When he wants to.”

“Jus’ great. Ah hadda end up somewhere wit’ a dragon dog.”

“Thori do you a murder,” he snarled. “Scumbag!”

“Same to ya.” Gambit kept his eyes on the wolf as he walked by and made sure to keep his backside to the wall. Thori growled and snapped as he passed but stayed inside the wagon.

“Have a great day, somewhere else, twit,” Thori called after him.

Ignoring the remark, Gambit left the two alone and made his way toward the main part of the building. He followed the hallway until it came out into what used to be the church’s sanctuary. All the pews had been removed, a new floor put in, and the room split into sections. The variants had built smaller, individual rooms separated by shoddy wood and plaster walls. The place had no chance of finding its way onto the front page of Better Homes & Gardens but at least it served the purpose it was built for. It was hard to tell how many rooms there were in all. A combination living room and kitchen made up the front part while beyond that were the bedrooms. At least, that’s what he figured.

Gambit passed through the living room, such as it was. The variants had done their best to make it an acceptable and comfortable living space. The floor was covered over by dirty rugs and carpet pieces that didn’t match. Ramshackle chairs and mismatched sofas were placed around the walls and a cluttered coffee table in the center of the room. A couple of pinball machines and a pool table were arranged in one corner. Tables of every size and shape filled up the other corners and stood beside every seat. All of them were stacked full of books, magazines, candles, lamps, cups, and board games. Bookshelves lined the wall next to the doorway he came through, which were also full of books and games. Directly across from this, off-centered to the right-hand side, was the kitchen—more like a kitchenette. A dark green marble top bar counter served as a room divider and was piled high with pots, pans, and dishes of every sort. Wooden and plastic shipping crates were stacked on their sides against part of the wall behind the counter, acting as storage units with tattered cloth hanging down the front for a door. Next to them was a long table used as another counter, on which sat several camping stoves, a bunch of canned goods, more dishes and cooking utensils, and a large tub full of dirty, soapy water—a sink perhaps.

As he walked through the living room, an open doorway leading to the outside was on his right. There were hinges but no door. Gambit looked out as he sauntered by. He’d seen everything at a glance the day before when the Lokis brought him here, but now that he was able to look at everything closer, he was seeing details that defined the place as a makeshift shelter. It told that its inhabitants were making do with what they had as part of their survival—much in the same way he had to do while living on the streets. If only the TVA knew how people were living here… Then again, something told him the TVA probably wouldn’t care.

President Loki and No Eyes Loki were nowhere to be seen. No one was around except for the child Loki and his demon mutt. The Cajun approached the kitchen and began his search for something to eat. In a way, he felt guilty for taking these people’s food, but No Eyes Loki had told him to make himself at home. During moments like this, he was starting to regret leaving the TVA. He already missed the cafeteria and chatting with Mobius while they ate lunch. He picked up a coffee pot and set it back. He rummaged through some of the random dishes scattered along the countertop and glanced at the tub of water. Dishrags hung over the sides and sponges and bars of soap lay on a tray beside it.

“How dey get dere water? It rain here?” he muttered. He brushed back the cloth on the crates to reveal a stash of canned goods, bottled water, and other non-perishable food items.

“Can I help you?”

The voice startled him into turning around.

No Eyes Loki emerged from the opened doorway next to the kitchen, where Gambit assumed the bedrooms were located.

Gambit faltered as he stared at the Loki. Aside from a nose and a mouth, there were no other facial features—just smooth skin where eyes and eyebrows should be. No Eyes Loki was going to take some getting used to.

“Ah…ah was lookin’ for somethin’ ta eat,” he finally said slowly.

Without saying a word, No Eyes Loki walked to one of the cupboards next to the pinball machines with ease, pulled out a bowl of apples, and offered it to the mutant. “Help yourself, friend. We also have cereal, if you don’t mind eating it dry.”

Gambit studied the Loki before reaching out and taking two apples. “T’ank you. De apples will do fine.”

No Eyes Loki smiled. He put the bowl back where it belonged. “You’re hesitant about me.”

“Ah don’ mean ta be rude.”

“It’s to be expected. I’m sure my appearance is startling to those who can see.”

“Jus’ wonderin’ how you can…”

“Get around with such ease?” No Eyes Loki finished for him. “My magic gives me extra senses to make up for the one I wasn’t born with.” He held up his hand. His palm glowed with a bright green aura.

Gambit studied the Loki, looking him up and down. He had long, shoulder-length raven-black hair same as the others, only it stuck out in messy curls in the back and around his neck like some sort of sinister Christmas tree. He wore a light and dark green tunic with puffy sleeves and baggy pants that were stuffed down into simple black boots. A long loincloth piece hung down to his knees in the front. Standing out from the rest of his attire was a dainty gold cross necklace hanging around his neck—an unusual piece to see on a Loki. What did the president variant say he was supposed to be again? The God of Mischief? A pagan deity on earth?

“Your necklace—a bit odd ta see on someone like you, yah? Ya religious or somethin’? A monk?”

No Eyes Loki smirked. “Yes, I’m ‘religious’ as you call it. I wouldn’t put it in that term, but I understand what you mean. I found God. It was the reason I was pruned and taken out of the Sacred Timeline. Every time a Loki tries to fix himself, he’s removed and sent here, because we have but one part to play on the timeline according to the Time Keepers: a villain. No choice to do good or to be humbled. No chance of coming to terms with our brokenness and seeking redemption for past sins. No. It wouldn’t do for a Loki to find God and take up residence in a monastery. We’re only meant to be the embodiment of evil, chaos, and destruction—a cosmic mistake, as the TVA calls us. Sadly, so many of us don’t know the extent of our potential because so many of us aren’t allowed to discover it. When we do, we’re punished for it by being sent here to die.”

“A Norse god findin’ God. Ah bet ya made a branch like no one else.”

No Eyes Loki chuckled. “Perhaps. Even when we choose a good path we end up creating chaos. I guess it is in our nature.”

“Ah learned ‘long ‘go ya can’ pretend ta be someone you ain’t. We all born de way we are, even if some of us are different.” Gambit charged the apple in his hand and held it up. “But jus’ ‘cause you’re a bein’ of chaos ain’t mean ya gotta be evil. Jus’ look at me—creatin’ bombs jus’ by touchin’ t’ings. If dat ain’t chaos, ah dunno wha’ is. Ah ain’t asked ta be like dis. Jus’ born dat way. An’ ah ain’t evil. Dey migh’ call me a devil, mais ah ain’t evil.”

“You speak wise words.” No Eyes Loki held up his hand a few inches from the charged apple as if feeling the energy it radiated. “But, sadly, we’re a band of outcasts that the universe has decided it has no need of either way.”

“De universe ain’t know what it missin’.”

No Eyes Loki smiled. “We are alike in a lot of ways, am I right?—a being of chaos who carries the weight of guilt connected to past sins, seeking redemption?” He kept his hand in place near the charged apple. “I sense it from your energy, which appears to have mystical qualities not unlike my own. Interesting. You say you’re a Midgardian, right? A human mutant?”

Gambit cleared his throat. “An’ wha’ ‘bout dese?” He nodded at the apple, snuffing out the charge. “Ah assume dese are like gold in dis place. De apples, ah mean.”

No Eyes Loki kept his face turned on Gambit as if he could actually see him as he lowered his hand. It made Gambit a little uncomfortable that No Eyes Loki had apparently ‘seen’ some hidden part of himself through the charged fruit—a part he’d hidden deep a long time ago. Seeing the eyeless face staring at him made him even more uncomfortable. It was as if the Loki could see more than anyone with eyes.

“There’s an orchard not far from here,” No Eyes Loki finally said, going along with the change of subject without question. “Somehow it keeps itself nurtured and maintained. We haven’t been able to understand it.”

“From wha’ ah’ve seen of dis place so far, ah’m guessin’ dere ain’t much here dat can be explained.”

“You’re right about that, my friend. We live in the biggest junkyard. That’s all there is to understand.” No Eyes Loki put a gentle hand on Gambit’s arm. “But we’re alive, and I thank God for that.” He urged Gambit forward. “Come. Let’s go outside and sit in the fresh air.”

Due to the way the church was setting, there was about a five-foot drop to the ground on the other side of the open doorway, which Gambit had already forgotten about.

“Remember to be mindful of that first step,” No Eyes Loki cautioned after Gambit almost stumbled and face-planted the ground. He caught himself on the doorframe. No Eyes Loki used his magic to levitate and float down with ease. He helped Gambit down the same way. “First thing we need to do today is find some cement steps. We did have a crate, but the wind took it away during the last storm we had.”

“Takin’ de term ‘dat first step is a doozy’ to a whole new level.” Gambit shook his head. He surveyed the view in front of him while taking a bite of his apple. The field across from them was full of dilapidated and crumbling moss-covered buildings and houses—what remained of the town, possibly the neighborhood, the church had belonged to on earth. Piles of rusting cars and bent and broken electrical poles, streetlights, and street signs were mixed in with them. Large chunks and bits and pieces of asphalt littered the ground underneath. The same surrounded the church on both sides. The church’s steeple had broken off on impact and was sticking up from the ground behind the building like a giant ice cream cone.

“Y’all migh’ wanna file a complaint wit’ de mayor. De view from ya frunchard ain’t de best.”

No Eyes Loki laughed. “True.”

There was someone else out here. On Gambit’s left was a dark-skinned man sitting in a lawn chair—legs stretched out in front and crisscrossed. His jet-black, kinky hair was cut fairly close, and he had a mustache and graying goatee. He was covered in black body armor, leather, and an array of weapons, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of even darker sunglasses. Judging from his posture, Gambit thought he was asleep, so it startled the Cajun when the man spoke.

“You stink,” the man said without looking up. “Worse than that view.”

“Ah beg ya pardon?”

“You smell like the TVA.”

“Ah jus’ came from dere.” Gambit leaned over to get a better look at the man. “You ain’t a Loki, are ya?”

“I should hope not.” The man adjusted his sunglasses. “I was born Eric Brooks, but you can call me Blade.”

“Remy LeBeau, but you can call me Gambit.” He couldn’t help noticing the guy’s fangs and instinctively stepped away. He instantly felt bad about it. People always treated him the same way when they saw his glowing eyes, so he knew how much it hurt to get that sort of reaction from people. “Ah’m sorry, ah di’n’t mean…”

Blade chuckled. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” He gestured at one of the other lawn chairs. “Please, have a seat. Relax.”

Gambit slowly sat.

No Eyes Loki sat in a chair near the church entrance, behind Blade.

“Gambit, huh? Mutant? I remember hearing something about them when I was with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Ya work wit’ S.H.I.E.L.D?”

“Used to. Was part of their hush-hush team that brought down the supernatural and paranormal threats. Not many knew about us, which was the way it was supposed to be. How’s S.H.I.E.L.D. holding up these days, anyway? Fury still showing everyone who’s boss? Assuming you have S.H.I.E.L.D. in the universe you came from.”

“Ah wouldn’t know. Seems ah heard on de news where dey fell apart ‘cause of HYDRA or somethin’. Fury went into hidin’ or he dead. Ah dunno. Ain’t paid much attention. Got my own problems.”

“Hm. Pity. Never thought it’d come to that, but then again, I should have expected it knowing some of the things that went on with them that I didn’t agree with.”

“You a mutant?”

Blade shook his head and grinned. “Nah. I’m a Dhampir.”

Gambit threw him a puzzled look as he took a slow bite of his apple.

“Part human and part vampire,” Blade explained. “Normally, it happens when…well…a human and a vampire decide to make out with each other—male vamp. In my case, it’s a little more complicated. It involved my mum getting bit when I was born and then I got bit.”

“Sounds like a fun time.”

“I guess you could say I’m not really a true Dhampir but in a way, I’m something like it. Either way, I call myself that just because it sounds cooler than saying I’m a half-breed.”

Gambit made a face and smirked. “Ah di’n’t know dat was possible—de vampire an’ human matin’ t’ing. Dat mus’ be an interestin’ experience.”

Blade shrugged “Stranger things have happened. At least you don’t seem bothered by it like some I’ve told.”

Gambit shook his head. “At one time, ah woulda laughed an’ told ya you’re taré—crazy. But after all ah’ve been through, mon ami, ah’d believe ya if ya said de Tooth Fairy is real an’ packin’ a rocket launcher.”

No Eyes Loki smiled amusingly.

Blade laughed. “The Void is full of variants and strange beings, so you never know.”

“But, half vampire, huh? We have a few vampires in da folklore back in N’awlins. Never gave ‘em much thought, myself. Always figured dey were legends dat came ‘bout from psychotics. Bogeyman stories to scare de kids. An’ we gotta plenty o’ dem, yah.”

“Some of them probably did. You say you’re from New Orleans? I’ve been there before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s a nice place. You’re Cajun, right? The accent and dialect sorta give it away.”

Gambit smiled. “Ah’m Cajun, yah.” He gestured at the man. “How can ya sit out here in daylight? Don’ it melt vampires?”

“Being part vampire, the sunlight and daylight don’t hurt me none. Might tingle a bit when I get in direct sunlight, but that’s about it. When Morbius bit me it made me immune to normal vampire weaknesses.”

“Morbius? Ya don’ mean Mobius?”

“No. Morbius is someone from my past. A human-vampire mutate. Followed him to New York after spending time in New Orleans, and that’s when I got bit.”

“We jus’ a big family of messed up people, ain’t we?”

Blade chuckled. “You could say that.”

“Why ya here wit’ all de Lokis? Dat president one strikes me as bein’ a loner.”

Blade shrugged. “Don’t like the company that much.” He waved to No Eyes Loki behind him. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

“But here in The Void, you can’t be choosey who you hang around with.” Blade leaned his head on his hand. “Enemies have learned to set aside their differences and become friends and neighbors. They’ve learned to help each other.”

“The Void has a way of humbling you,” No Eyes Loki added.

Blade continued, “Sadly, not everyone has been humbled. We’ve had our share of war and personal battles too. Mostly because of the shortage of food, supplies, and good shelter, as you can imagine. A place like this can either humble a person or bring out the feral ugly. It’s best to live in groups and always be mindful of your surroundings.”

“Ah hear ya, mon ami.” Gambit slipped his second apple into the pocket of his coat and finished the one in his hand, throwing the core on the ground. He wiped his hand on his pants, pulled out a deck of cards, and began shuffling them.

“Our clan was a lot bigger,” said No Eyes Loki. “Some left because they couldn’t handle the president version of me.”

“Ah take it he ain’t de best person ta be ‘round.”

Blade snorted. “He’s a Loki. No other way of saying it. Probably one of the worst variants of him. He’s overly arrogant and can’t be trusted and the reason I sleep with a dagger under my pillow.”

“He’s a broken version who just needs to be loved,” said No Eyes Loki.

“Yeah, call it what you want. If he gets all up in my face again, acting high and mighty, I’m gonna show him love with my boot shoved up where the sun don’t shine.”

At that moment, Thori ran through the doorway, practically flew through the air, landed with a thump, and bounded between the men. He stopped briefly in front of Gambit and spewed flames over his feet.

“Hey, hey!” Gambit pulled his feet back. “Wha’ de matter wit’ you?”

It was too late, though, Thori was gone. “DEATH! DEATH!!” he shouted as he ran out into the field and began climbing over the debris, poking his head in broken windows and sniffing. “Die, vampire scum! Thori do you a murder! Die, mutant garbage!”

Blade shook his head and pointed at the Hel-Hound. “We lost a few members because of that, too. People don’t stick around long when some demented hell spawn dog keeps shouting insults and telling everyone to die.”

They watched as Thori locked his jaws around a cement block and pulled it out of the tangled mess of rubble. He laid down in the dirt and started chewing on it as if it was a squeaky toy. Then his head perked up. He stood up again and walked closer to Gambit, eyeing him curiously.

“Why you wear purple?” the pup asked. “You a girly man?”

“Say dat to my face again an’ ah show ya why ah wear purple.”

Thori laughed. “Your little sissy butt couldn’t handle me saying it again.”

Gambit stood up, his gaze fixed on the dog.

“He’s doing it on purpose to rile you. Just ignore him,” said Blade.

Quicker than the eye could see, Gambit flicked a card at the hound and it exploded on impact at his feet. Thori jumped back and started barking and snarling madly, the flames coming out of his mouth flaring.

“THORI KILL YOU!” He ran up and spewed flames at the Cajun’s feet again and did the same to Blade.

“Heeeey, stop that!” Blade kicked his feet. He picked up a rock and threw it at the dog. “Get out of here, you demented little cur!” He turned to Gambit. “You just had to work him up, didn’t you?”

“DIPWAD TWIT! FRACK YOU!”

Gambit didn’t hear Blade as he focused his attention on the hound. “Oh yah? Same to ya!”

“Die, you son of a monkey! Thori thinks you look like someone who knows what crayons taste like.”

“An’ Gambit t’inks ya look like somethin’ dragged up from de bayou!”

“Just let it go, man,” said Blade. His words fell on deaf ears, however.

“And you bring as much joy to the world as a wet sock!” Thori screamed back.

“At least ah bring joy to da world. Unlike you!”

“Your mother was a French poodle!”

“Joke’s on ya. Ah ain’t knowed my momma, so your pathetic insult don’ mean squat!”

“She dumped you?”

“You could say dat.”

“Probably because you’re so ugly.”

“Ah ain’t ugly!” Gambit tilted his head back and smiled smugly. “Ah handsome. De best lookin’ Cajun ya ever find in N’awlins.”

Thori gagged. “Oh, please. Thori’s had bowel movements more attractive than you.”

“You’re uglier!”

“You’re the ugliest. Thori says you need to comb your hair. Whatever look you were aiming for, you missed.”

“Oh, yah? Well, Gambit says ya look like ya don’ know wha’ a comb is. Jus’ look like some kinda possessed ball of dryer lint wit’ skinny legs.”

The pup bristled and growled. “Thori sink teeth between your butt cheeks and bite your pants off for that!”

“Ya jus’ try an’ see how far ya get!” Gambit whipped out a card and charged it.

Thori snorted as he eyed the glowing card. “Bull snot!” He turned and kicked dirt in Gambit’s direction with his back feet. Satisfied that he’d made his point clear, he walked over and flopped down to chew on his cement block again.

“Nasty lil’ chien,” Gambit sat down in his chair again.

“Told you.” Blade chuckled. “You’re not gonna win a fight or an argument with him.”

Silence filled the air for a few minutes while both men watched Thori gnaw on his block. The pup bit off pieces, chewed them, and swallowed like it was dry dog food.

“Dis place worse dan ah thought it would be,” Gambit mumbled as he took in the washed-out, trash-littered landscape.

“You knew you were coming here? That’s not information the TVA usually gives out to its variants.”

“Let’s jus’ say ah stayed dere long ‘nough ta learn t’ings no one else knows.”

Blade looked impressed as well as interested. No Eyes Loki sat unmoving and listened intently.

“Before ya get de wrong impression, dey gave me a choice to work for dem. Ah turned it down. Ah don’ agree wit’ what dey do.”

“They pruned you for that?”

“Non. Ah pruned myself.”

Blade’s eyebrows rose.

“Some of de people dere; dey ain’t so bad, yah. Some of dem could be allies, ah t’ink. Dey jus’ need ta be persuaded.” His thoughts drifted to Mobius and Miss Minutes. “You know dey all variants like us, right?”

Blade shook his head. “No. Who told you that?”

“A friend.” Gambit sighed sadly. “Dey all been mind-wiped to obey de Time Keepers or whoever’s in charge.”

“Yeah, well. It’s no longer our concern. We’re here and they’re there. There’s no going back to the way it used to be. At least…that’s the case for some of us, anyway,” Blade said sadly. He pointed at the mutant. “I must say, though, you’ve got guts, kid. Choosing this instead of the TVA and self-pruning yourself.”

“Ah couldn’t stand by while dey take people’s freedom away. Ah don’ agree wit’ dat.” He sighed heavily. “Ah heard dere’s a bebette here—a monster.”

Blade nodded. “Alioth. He’s the reason you need to watch what you do out in the open. Start making a lot of loud noise and he’ll come.”

Gambit glanced around. “Ah don’ understand.”

“He’s a living storm.” Blade pointed to the sky. “Up there. He comes down to the ground to consume everything when it’s dumped here.”

“He makes sure nothing returns to the timeline,” No Eyes Loki added grimly.

“I’ve seen him consume large cities in a matter of seconds, people along with it—only death and decay left. It’s like some nightmarish piranha cleaning off a man’s bones. I’ve gone up against a lot of monsters in my lifetime, but I’ve never seen anything like Alioth.”

“Why don’ ya jus’ kill it?”

Blade laughed. “You serious? I might as well try killing smoke.” He shook his head. “I can drive a wooden stake through a vampire or shoot a werewolf with a silver bullet, but there’s nothing I know of that can take down that beast. You can’t even get close enough to him to land a blow. I’ve seen people try. His touch is literally death.”

Gambit shuddered. “No Eyes, he told me y’all been out huntin’ for a vampire, yah. Wha’ dat ‘bout? Ya got more ‘n one monster here?”

Blade glanced over his shoulder at No Eyes Loki. “You could say that.”

“Ya huntin’ Sinister?”

“No.” Blade straightened in his chair. “We were looking for Dracula.”

Chapter Text

Gambit laughed. “Dracula? Ya mean like in de book an’ movie?”

“More or less. Entertainment’s got a lot of things wrong, but technically speaking, yes.”

Gambit studied the man a few moments. “Ya pullin’ ma leg now. Ya talkin’ ‘bout Count Dracula an’ Van Helsin’ an’ all dem characters.”

“Yeah, and I’m a vampire hunter. Dracula’s a vampire. It’s all real.”

The man was actually serious. Gambit wasn’t sure whether to be worried or intrigued.

Blade arched an eyebrow. “You’re the one who said you wouldn’t be surprised if the Tooth Fairy showed up with a rocket launcher.”

“But Dracula…he fiction, yah. He part of dem fictional stories.”

“And the Tooth Fairy isn’t?” Blade tightened his lips and ran a finger over his tuft of beard thoughtfully. “Fiction is often based on truth. Dracula exists; just not in the same manner as fiction portrays him. He looks a lot different for one thing. No fictional story ever gets his appearance right.”

Gambit nodded. “Okay. Suppose ah believe ya. How can ya be a vampire hunter an’ half vampire? Don’ dat seem sorta contradictory? Like, ah dunno, killin’ ya own kind?”

“They’re not my kind,” he replied coldly. “So, no, I’m not killing my own kind. Hunting vampires is my job—my life calling—and what I am doesn’t change that. It’s because of those bloody vampires that I am what I am.”

Gambit nodded even though he still didn’t understand the logic. He couldn’t imagine himself hunting mutants despite his past regrets.

“I partly do it for personal reasons,” Blade continued. “I didn’t ask to be this way. When I said my mum was bitten—that vampire killed her. He drained her dry right before I was born. That’s partly why I’m half vampire. Then later, the man I looked up to as a father figure was also the victim of a vampire attack. Killed him.”

“Oh…” Gambit looked at his lap. “Sorry.”

“There are other reasons. Too many to list. I’m drawn to being a vampire hunter. It’s a pull inside me. Something I can’t explain. It’s as if…” Blade splayed his hand but couldn’t get the words out. “…it’s part of who I was meant to be the second I was born. It’s some sort of instinct I was born with.”

“Cause and effect,” said No Eyes Loki.

Blade and Gambit looked over at him.

“A case of good created from evil.” The trickster smiled. “A protector against the forces of darkness was created from an act of evil. That vampire didn’t know what his atrocious actions would bring on him and the rest of his kind.”

“Nicely put,” said Blade.

“DIE!” said Thori suddenly, making everyone turn their eyes on him. The Hel-Hound was standing up, and his attention was focused on something on the left-hand side of the church.

Footsteps stumbling over uneven ground met their ears.

Blade stood up and put a hand on one of his knives reflexively. He relaxed, however, when he saw President Loki walking up the pathway while carrying a cloth bag.

“Die!” Thori repeated, growling. “Death to the president! Murder you!”

“Oh, shut up, you mangy mutt!” President Loki growled as he kicked gravel in the Hel-Hound’s direction.

Thori stepped away and barked at him. Flames flared around his mouth. “Thori burn your butt!”

“You do, and I’ll kill you.”

Thori snarled viciously. “Nasty President. Thori do you a murder.”

“His Majesty returns,” said Blade, sitting back down. “Find anything good?”

“I shouldn’t be doing this while you people are living it up!” President Loki whined. He threw down his bag. It appeared to be empty aside from a single plastic McDonald’s cup that rolled out of the opening. It stopped when it hit Blade’s foot with a picture of Ronald McDonald turned upward.

“You call this living it up?” Blade snorted. “Not my idea of living it up but okay. And we already went out looking. Came back this morning.” He pointed down and grinned. “I’m happy to report we found much better stuff than that sorry lil’ cup.”

President Loki frowned and glared down at the vampire hunter. It was clear from the look on his face that he was fighting back blowing his temper.

“Looking for a vampire is hardly looking for supplies.”

“No, but we did find some supplies in the process. A bunch of canned goods. You’ll find them on the kitchen counter.” He leaned over and picked up the cup and handed it to President Loki. “Keep this, though. It might come in handy.”

President Loki snatched it from his hand and threw it at Thori. The Hel-Hound jumped out of the way just as the cup hit the ground and growled loudly.

“KILL YOU!” he shouted.

“Pipe down!”

Thori bolted forward and locked his mouth around President Loki’s leg. The President screamed out and stumbled backward and made an effort to shake him off.

Gambit’s eyes widened as he took in the sight.

“Curse you! Manky little maggot!” President Loki kicked his leg and Thori went flying while ripping off a piece of the President’s pants leg.

Thori, not phased in the slightest by suddenly becoming airborne, righted himself and charged toward President Loki again. President Loki shot him with a green magical burst, but Thori evaded it and kept coming. The trickster shot more magical bursts, but Thori leaped at him.

“GET OFF ME!!” President Loki screamed out as Thori climbed up the front of him.

“THORI RIP YOUR FACE OFF!” The pup snapped his mouth inches from Loki’s face.

“I SAID GET OFF!” President Loki pushed on the pup and tried grabbing hold of him, but Thori snapped at his hands and bit his arms before coming back to snap at his face.

“Okay, you two. That’s enough!” Blade stood up. “Quiet down before you bring Alioth here!”

The struggle persisted, prompting Blade to step forward and smack Thori off the President with his hand. “I said, knock it off!”

Thori bristled at Blade but snorted and walked away. He picked up the McDonald’s cup with his mouth and set it on top of his cement block. “Stupid, nasty President,” he muttered. “Booger brain nitwit. Thori burn your butt good.”

Blade returned to his chair. “Both of you calm down before you kill us all.”

President Loki brushed himself off and fixed the tear in his pants with his magic. “As I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted.” He threw a glance at Thori, who growl-barked in his direction. “The only one here who hasn’t looked for supplies is him.” He stabbed a finger at Gambit.

Gambit glared at him. “Why ya gotta be in a mood?”

“Because he’s a Loki,” Blade mumbled.

President Loki shifted his eyes to the other man. “No one asked your opinion.” He turned back to the mutant. “You expect me to live in this place and not be ‘in a mood’ as you call it? I’m a prince and a god—the rightful ruler of Asgard! I shouldn’t be here!”

“None of us should be here,” Blade corrected. “Yet here we are.”

President Loki sneered. “So, when is the newcomer going to go look for supplies?”

“He can go anytime he wants,” said No Eyes Loki. “Unlike the TVA, we allow people to have freedom here. Besides, it’s not like there’s any reason we should be in a hurry. We have plenty of supplies already.”

“I’m the leader of this group!” President Loki snapped. “I say when we go out and look!”

“You aren’t the leader. There is no leader. We’ve already had this discussion.” Blade glared from behind his glasses, his voice carrying an edge. “We’re a group of outcasts who live under the same roof, in the same shelter, and get on each other’s nerves. Each of us is free to come and go as he pleases as the eyeless one said.”

“We’re a family,” No Eyes Loki added.

“Yeah, if you want to call it that.” Blade chuckled. “A badly dysfunctional one that would make any psychiatrist question his life choices.”

President Loki’s face turned red, and he turned on Gambit. He kicked his legs out from under him, making the mutant grip the arms of his chair tighter to keep from tipping over.

“Hey! Wha’ ya doin’?” Gambit scowled up at him.

“Get up!”

“Ah don’ have ta!”

President Loki grabbed him by the coat and hauled him up on his feet. “I said get up!”

“Hey!” Blade shouted.

President Loki looked over his shoulder.

“Leave him alone, man. He hasn’t done anything to you.”

President Loki let go of Gambit and stepped toward Blade. “You can’t talk to me that way!”

“I just did. Now go inside until you cool off. You’re gonna bring Alioth here if you keep on.”

“You can’t order me around! I’m a god!”

“If you keep pressing my buttons, I’m gonna switch my life calling to god hunter. Now leave the man alone and go inside the church.” Blade peered at him sternly from over the tops of his glasses.

Huffing, President Loki stormed off. Unknown to him, Gambit slipped a charged card in the back pocket of his pants. Once inside the church, they heard a pop and a shrill scream followed by a long stream of cussing.

“Someone need ta wash his mout’ out wit’ soap.” Gambit turned a puzzled look in the direction of the church before turning his eyes back to Blade. “Was dat Loki?”

Blade nodded. He was trying to hide a laugh.

“You knowed he could scream like dat?”

Blade nodded again. “Stay here long enough and you’ll learn he’s special.”

President Loki appeared in the doorway with smoke billowing from behind him. He slapped his backside and patted out his smoldering pants. When he was sure it was completely out, he fixed Gambit with a dark look. “Just wait until I get my hands on you.”

Gambit flicked out a card and held it up between his fingers, charging it. “Come on, if ya wan’ more!”

President Loki stared at the card and then he turned and disappeared back inside.

“Imbécile,” Gambit mumbled. He snuffed out his card and placed his deck of cards inside his coat.

The hair on Thori’s back stood on end as he glared intensely at the Cajun’s backside through the split in his coattails. He snapped his fiery jaws and growled as he sized up his target.

“Gambit!” Blade cried out.

The Cajun turned around just in time to see Thori running at him. The pup lunged and locked his mouth onto one of the tails of his coat just as the mutant spun around. The hound swung around with the coat, all four feet sticking straight out.

“Wha de??” Gambit peered down between his legs at Thori hanging behind him. The dog growled and snarled as he tugged on the duster, pulling at it and trying to gain footing by feeling for the ground with one thin leg stretched out.

“Thori biphe you gooph!” he said with his mouth full of coat.

Gambit leaned down and grabbed hold of the squirming beast, but Thori let go of his coat long enough to snap at his hands. Gambit jerked away. Thori clamped down on his coattail again, twisting and tugging it between the Cajun’s legs.

“Better get him away from you,” Blade warned.

Gambit, again, grabbed hold of the pup, pulling him by a back leg. Thori jerked his leg out of his hand and snapped at the Cajun. His eyes bugged out, and he curled his lips up to reveal an awful set of sharp teeth as he snarled. He spewed out a burst of flames.

“Aye-ya-yi!” Gambit flapped his hands. “Dat’s hot!”

“I told you.” Blade nodded his head “You’d better get him away because he loves to burn…”

Thori rolled over on his back just as Gambit grabbed both of his back legs and dragged him forward. The pup sent out a spray of fire upward that Gambit could feel close to his backside.

“Hoo Lawd!” Gambit spread his legs farther apart as he struggled to keep his grip on the wriggling, kicking pup, but his grip was slipping. “Merde! Merde! Merde!”

Thori sent up another spray of fire and Gambit lost his grip in favor of clasping both hands on his butt, patting at the seat of his pants.

“If ya damage anythin’ under dere, I’mma t’row ya further dan ya wanna be t’rown!”

Thori locked his jaws onto the Cajun’s boot and growled.

Gambit tugged on Thor’s back fur and his legs, but the dog clamped down harder.

“You want me to help?” asked Blade with an amused smile.

“Naw, ah got dis.” Gambit pulled on the dog, but it was no use. Thori’s jaws were like a steel trap. “Leggo! Ya crazy chien!” He shook his leg.

Thori let go. “How dare you call Thori dirty names!”

“It ain’t a dirty name! It means dog!”

“How dare you call Thori a dog! Thori Hel-Hound!” Thori clamped down on his other leg.

“Ain’t it de same t’ing??”

“Rrrrrrrr!!” Thori growled.

Gambit grabbed the pup’s leg again and tugged on him. Then he reached for the tail and gave it a hard yank that made Thori screech out loud.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Thori screamed. “MURDER YOU!”

“Ah made a mistake. Ya ain’t no dog. Ya a tornada wit’ teeth!”

“Darn right! A fire tornado!” Thori breathed fire toward the Cajun.

“Ya better not burn my pi-yi!” Gambit backpedaled and moved his rear out of reach.

“Thori burn more than whatever you said.” He eyed the Cajun’s crotch.

“Aw nah ya don’!” Gambit stepped forward, quickly bent over, and pinned Thori to the ground. The pup gnashed his teeth and bit up and down the mutant’s arms. Gambit tightened his grip and quickly slung Thori away from him. “Mon Dieu! Ah ain’t neva! An’ ah thought de ahllagators back in de bayou were bad!”

President Loki laughed from the doorway of the church. “Serves you right!”

Gambit scowled at the trickster over his shoulder and turned away. He beat at the back of his pants, making sure nothing was going to ignite.

Blade chuckled. “I told you. He loves doing that.”

“Am ah out back dere?” Gambit turned his back to Blade.

“Yeah, looks like it,” said the vampire hunter after taking a quick look.

“My britches an’ coat are fireproof, but ah just wanna make sure.” Gambit locked eyes on the hound.

Thori growled. “Thori buuurn.”

“Chepasse!” Gambit waved the pup away.

“What you call Thori??” he growled louder.

“It ain’t dirty! Means go away!”

“Same back at you, twit face!”

“We gonna start dat again, hot lips?”

“Not unless you want to, brush head.”

“Ya keep on an’ ah will use a few dirty ones!”

Thori started toward Gambit, but a green burst landed in front of him and made him back away.

“That’s enough, Thori,” said No Eyes Loki. “Peace.”

Thori eyed the eyeless trickster. Finally, he turned around and walked away.

“Ya wastin’ ya time on dat one. He dunno de meanin’ of de word.” When Gambit saw the pup wasn’t going to come at him again, he plopped down in his chair.

Blade laughed. “You might be the best thing to happen to this group in a long time.”

“Glad ah could entertain y’all.”

“Now you know why some people left our clan.”

“Ah dunno how ya stayed here long as ya have, mon ami. Between de President and dat dog, ah woulda lost my mind loooong ‘go. HooLawdImmagofoulivinindisplaceyah.”

Blade chuckled.

Gambit sat there in silence for a good five minutes, occasionally glancing at Thori. The Hel-Hound went about his business like nothing happened. Eventually, he found a new game in attacking and knocking the McDonald’s cup off the cement block and putting it back.

“How ah go ‘bout findin’ supplies?” Gambit finally asked.

Blade nodded his head in the direction behind the mutant. “There are plenty of stores out there to rummage through if others haven’t picked them clean. The child Loki can take you to them any time you’re ready. I suggest doing it before nightfall, though. Besides the light issue, this place isn’t friendly after dark. I prefer everyone in this group to be inside by then. Don’t want to lose anyone.”

Something about the way Blade said that sent a chill down Gambit. He glanced around him, wondering what could be out there. He assumed he was talking about Alioth. Then again, his thoughts returned to all the strange noises he’d heard during the night that were partly responsible for keeping him awake.

“And you will need your own supplies,” said No Eyes Loki. “To be kept inside your room.”

Gambit nodded. “Ah’ve lived on de streets, so ah know. Dis whole setup, it ain’t new ta me, yah.”

Blade turned a quizzical look at him.

“Ah lived on de streets of N’awlins for a time as a kid ‘fore a thieves’ guild ‘dopted me an’ took me in,” he explained to Blade’s unanswered question.

No Eyes Loki turned his head to Gambit.

Gambit continued, “Ah grew up wit’out real parents. Ah know a t’ing or two ‘bout survival.” He forced a smile. “Probably more dan His Majesty in dere.”

Blade smiled and kept his eyes on the mutant.

“Although,” Gambit shook his head and glanced around him, his eyes finally coming to rest on Thori, who was lying on his back near his cement block, the McDonald’s cup on the ground in front of him. He was lazily trying to bite it. “Ah ain’t never seen a place like dis. De streets of N’awlins were different dan dis place. At least dey felt comfortin’.” He took another look around and tightened his coat around him. “But…ah ain’t ‘shamed ta say dis place give me de frissons. An’ dat’s sayin’ a lot.”

“It takes a while to get used to,” Blade admitted softly. “But, eventually, it begins to feel like you were born here—like you’ve always lived here.”

To Gambit, that didn’t sound encouraging or comforting. Since there was no other place to go, then he guessed it made sense. It was either here or work for the TVA.

“De TVA is seriously messed up—makin’ folks live here,” he muttered.

Blade and No Eyes Loki both nodded in agreement.

“It’s purgatory,” said No Eyes Loki. “That’s what it is. A place of punishment for our crimes against the Sacred Timeline.”

“Havin’ free will ain’t no crime. Only dictators see it as crime.”

“True,” said Blade.

Child Loki appeared in the doorway of the church and peered out at them. He hung onto the doorframe with both hands and leaned forward. “What are you guys doing? I heard a lot of noise earlier.”

“Had a bit of upset with the President and Thori,” Blade replied with a smile. “Then Thori attacked Gambit.”

Child Loki looked at the Cajun. “Are you okay?”

“Ah’m fine, yah.”

“Loki,” said No Eyes Loki, turning to the child. “Would you want to escort our newest member to the stores so he can gather supplies?”

“Sure!” Child Loki jumped down. To Gambit, he said, “You’ll need bags. There are some inside in the corner beside the kitchen. Grab as many as you like or think you can carry when they’re full. The more supplies you can get the better. You never know how long you’ll have to go on what you find in this place.”

“While you’re gone, I’ll find some boxes for you to store your supplies in,” said No Eyes Loki. He helped Gambit up to the doorway with his magic.

The moment Gambit set foot inside the church, however, he was roughly grabbed by the coat collar and hurled forward into the coffee table and knocked it over on impact. He was stunned momentarily but quickly regained his senses just in time to throw up his hands to deflect a burst of green magic with his kinetic energy. Sparks of pink and green exploded together like fireworks in the middle of the ragged living room.

“Get up and fight!” President Loki shouted as he shot another magical blast at the Cajun, which he deflected again.

“Ah don’ wanna fight you, ya crazy lunatic!” Gambit crawled around the overturned coffee table in an attempt to get on his feet. He leaned on the nearest couch. “An’ here ah was startin’ ta admire you from all de praise Mobius said ‘bout ya.”

“Mobius? Is that weasel still there?”

“He ain’t a weasel. He a good man. You de weasel.” Gambit extended and held up his bo staff just as President Loki pulled a dagger out of nowhere and leaped on top of him. The two weapons clashed with a loud clank and a burst of sparks.

“Where do you get off calling me a weasel?” President Loki snarled darkly.

“‘Cause ya are one!” Gambit shoved the trickster away. President Loki lost his footing, fell over an ottoman, and roughly sat down in the plush chair right behind it. Quickly, he was on his feet again and charging toward the Cajun. The mutant held up his staff between himself and the oncoming god, charging it with energy. Just as Loki brought his dagger down on top of it, the energy burst from it sent him soaring across the room to crash noisily into the pile of pots and pans on the bar counter. Again, President Loki was on his feet and charging in a matter of seconds, a whisk hanging from one of his horns.

Gambit put his foot on the leg of the overturned coffee table and pushed it forward, tripping President Loki.

“I’ll get you for this humiliation, you…you…weird talking freak of nature!”

“Really? Dat de best insult ya can come up wit’? My guild daddy know how ta insult better dan dat. Heck! Thori an’ ah, we were insultin’ each other better dan dat ‘fore ya came back, yah.”

President Loki clenched his teeth and prepared to lunge at him.

“HEY!” Blade shouted from the door. Both the Cajun and trickster looked toward him. No Eyes Loki and Child Loki were standing beside him. Thori stood between them, growling.

“Knock it off, you two. You’re tearing the place apart!” Blade surveyed the mess the two men made. “And you’re gonna bring Alioth here if you’re not careful. How many times I gotta say that today?”

“He started it!” President Loki accused, pointing his dagger at Gambit.

“Ah did not, no! You de one who grabbed me soon as ah walk in!”

“What about that exploding card you put in my pocket?”

“Wha’ ‘bout de way you treated me?”

A shrill whistle made both men turn around again.

“I don’t care who started it. I want you to stop it.” Blade pointed at President Loki. “You. I’ve had enough of you today.”

President Loki straightened up, brandishing his dagger. “And just who do you think you are, mongrel? My mother?” He took a few steps toward the half-vampire.

“I’m beginning to feel like it,” Blade mumbled. “You act like a spoilt child.”

“You’re calling me a child now?!”

No Eyes Loki stepped forward. “Brother, please. Don’t do this.”

“Don’t ‘brother’ me, you pathetic excuse for a Loki,” President Loki spat.

Blade whipped out a knife. “Take one step closer and I’m cutting that button off your lapel.”

While President Loki was distracted, Gambit slid his staff between the trickster’s legs and jerked it upward…hard. There was a high-pitched scream and President Loki fell to his knees, his dagger falling to the floor in favor of grabbing his groin. He wheezed and doubled over.

Blade smirked and lowered his knife.

Gambit collapsed his staff and tucked it away inside his pocket. He walked forward with purpose and grabbed hold of the back of President Loki’s coat, dragging him to the couch.

“HEY! What are you doing?” President Loki gasped out, obviously still in pain. “Unhand me at once!”

“Ah don’ t’ink so. Ah put pain in ya front, now I’mma put some in de back of ya as well.” Gambit seated himself on the couch and heaved President Loki facedown over his lap. He wrapped an arm securely around the trickster’s squirming form, pinning him in place.

“Wait! Wha??” President Loki’s face paled and he kicked violently when he realized the position he was in. “Wh-wh-what are you doing??”

Gambit didn’t answer as he wrapped a leg around President Loki’s legs to secure them in place.

“I asked you a question! What are you doing??”

“Wha’ does it look like?”

“Unhand me!” President Loki rocked and squirmed again, trying in vain to free his legs. “Wait! W-w-w-wait! H-h-hold on jusst a minute! Maybe we can work out a deal here!”

SMACK!

President Loki gasped at the painful impact Gambit’s palm made with his rear. He paused for only a moment before he began wriggling anew.

“Don’t do this! Please!” he screeched out. “You can’t be serious!”

SMACK!

President Loki jerked forward and winced.

Gambit brought his hand down again, harder this time. Then another smack, and another, and another, until he fell into a steady rhythm of laying a series of painful, hard swats on the seat of the trickster’s pants.

“OW! Yeeeowch! Don’t do this to me. Pleassse! I beg of you!” President Loki squealed out as he squirmed in Gambit’s hold. No matter what he did, though, Gambit’s hand came down harder.

SMACK!!

“Ya can plead all ya want, but ah’m givin’ ya what ya deserve!” He brought his hand down again with a loud SMACK on the underside of President Loki’s bottom. “For bein’ such a brat!”

“Owwwwwww!” President Loki wailed. “You’re hurting me, you wretched brute!”

Gambit forced a smile, remembering back when he had said the same thing when Mobius first took him to task. “Dat’s de whole idea of it.”

Gambit laid down ten more heavy swats before he allowed President Loki to stand up.

“Let dat be lesson to ya, you grouchy ol’ goat.”

President Loki immediately backed away. He threw a hand behind him to rub out the sting Gambit put in his backside while he kept the other hand over his crotch. He pulled his glare away from the Cajun long enough to glance at Blade and the others, who were all standing stock-still, not able to turn away from what they had just witnessed. Thori stood in front with one bottom tooth stuck out over his top lip and his tail standing upright. He looked from President Loki to Gambit like his little puppy mind just popped.

President Loki’s face turned red, and he lowered his head and shifted from one foot to the other.

“Jus’ somethin’ ah learned at de TVA,” Gambit explained with a shrug.

“I approve of your method, but I’m curious to know how and why you learned it at the TVA,” Blade finally said as he studied the mutant.

Gambit turned his eyes to the floor. His cheeks flushed pink at remembering Mobius spanking him. “Ah…erm…ah jus’ learned it,” he replied in a low voice.

No Eyes Loki smiled softly as he placed a hand on Blade’s arm. He shook his head when Blade turned to him.

President Loki watched Gambit closely while he continued rubbing his bottom. Finally, he smirked—a devilish smirk.

Gambit locked eyes with him, a chill creeping down his back. President Loki didn’t have to say anything. The dark look on his face spoke of revenge. Without saying a word, the trickster limped to the front door, shoving his way past Blade and No Eyes Loki.

Thori snapped at his heels. “Spank the president! Spank him good!”

Ignoring the dog, President Loki used his magic to float down to the ground and from there disappeared.

“That took some guts, kid,” said Blade when the president was out of earshot.

Gambit stood and adjusted his coat. “Sorry ‘bout de mess.”

No Eyes Loki waved it off. “I’ll clean it up.”

“Lemme help.” Gambit leaned over and turned the coffee table right side up.

Thori walked over and licked Gambit’s boot. He peered up at the Cajun’s butt, his mouth flames flaring. He moved out of the way when Gambit and No Eyes Loki scooted the table back in place.

“Actually, I feel like we’re the ones who owe you an apology,” said No Eyes Loki as he and Gambit along with Child Loki picked up books and other items to set back on the table. “We should have warned you about the president me.”

“He always like dis?”

“Believe it or not, this is one of his good days,” Blade put in.

No Eyes Loki nodded. “I’m afraid so. He’s one of the more disagreeable Loki variants. He wants to be the leader and ruler of someone. He hungers for it. Since his arrival in The Void, it’s made him even more insane, so to speak. He’s full of rage, malice, and determination that’s driven by hate for the TVA. I only wish I could help him.”

“How you stand him?”

“He’s a Loki.” No Eyes Loki shrugged. “I’m a Loki. He might be an annoyance, but he’s a brother—a broken brother.”

“He more dan an annoyance. He a royal pain in de butt.”

Blade laughed. “And you’re a royal pain in his butt now, literally.”

Gambit smiled sheepishly. “Ya t’ink ah overstepped?”

Blade shook his head. “Nah. I enjoyed it. Best entertainment I’ve had in a long time.”

“You’re allowed to stand up for yourself,” No Eyes Loki assured. “Don’t ever let him control you.” He picked up a few more books and a board game. “Besides, he’s long overdue for some humbling. Perhaps your method is what he needs.”

“I might borrow a page from your book the next time he tries something with me,” said Blade.

“Just so long as you don’t use it on me,” said Child Loki.

“You gonna be good?”

Child Loki nodded.

“Well, then. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Wagging his tail, Thori approached Gambit.

The Cajun held his hands out in front of him. “Ah ain’t lookin’ for no fight now.”

“Thori don’t fight. Thori like Cajun.”

Gambit looked at the dog quizzically. “Wha?? A minute ‘go ya were ‘bout ta barbeque me an’ eat me up.”

“Thori change mind. Cajun friend. Insults good too.” He licked Gambit’s boot.

Child Loki laughed. “Here, I’ll get our bags and we can be off to look for supplies.”

Chapter Text

When the living room was back in its proper order, Gambit picked out an armful of cloth bags from the clan’s stash and set out to gather supplies with Child Loki and Thori at his side. The trio trudged over uneven, trash-littered terrain, headed in the direction Blade had pointed out. For the first several minutes of their journey, no one spoke as they maneuvered over and around mounds of debris until they reached a worn path between the garbage. The only exception was Thori, who shouted ‘death’ and ‘murder’ at everything that moved and didn’t move. Gambit was starting to think this behavior was the hound’s way of asserting dominance. He watched as the pup scampered ahead of them, sniffing around and chasing something invisible to their eyes. He stopped briefly to sneeze and snort flames out his nose before running over to bark at an old beat-up coffee pot.

Finally, Child Loki said, “I know where you can find some great stuff! A new store just landed last week.”

“If time don’ exist here, den how ya know it been a week?”

“We don’t. We made up our own calendar system to make it feel normal.”

“So…wha’ day is today?”

“Friday…” Child Loki scrunched up his face. “…I think. Or maybe Plumsday.”

“Plumsday?”

“We found some plums a while back and decided to make a day after it for fun—an extra day. You can easily get away with having extra days in a week here since there are no weeks. Plumsday comes after Friday. Gives you a longer weekend. So if today is Friday that means tomorrow is Plumsday.”

“Ah beginnin’ ta feel like Alice wit’ de Void bein’ Wonderland,” Gambit mumbled. “So…ya have eight-day weeks?”

“More than that, actually.”

“Ya weeks mus’ be long.”

“Yeah, they are. Then again, there’s no time here, so you’re allowed to have long weeks.”

“Wha’ are some of de other extra days?”

“Well, there’s Cleansday—a day set aside just to clean the house. Blade came up with that one for some reason. And there’s Gamesday—we play games all day. Sleepsday, Dongday, Walkbackwardsday, Snorkday, Stareday, Frumpleday, Tartday, Crabday, and…”

“Okay! Ah get it.” Gambit was sorry he asked.

“And Thoriday! He demanded a day for himself.”

Thori barked in front of them.

“Ah ain’t surprised.”

The air fell silent again as they hiked on. Gambit peered around him, taking in the depressing landscape—more or less coming to grips with this new reality that was now his home. More buildings and houses connected to the town were positioned every which way—crumbling, deserted, and looking like ghosts twisted up in electrical poles and lines. He’d seen a lot of bad damage in New Orleans from hurricanes but this was nothing like that. He was beginning to think hurricane damage was mild compared to what he was now seeing. There were no words to describe it. It was as if someone had scooped up an entire town and dumped it in a field like pouring out toy blocks. There was no force he knew of on earth that could cause this kind of wreckage. It was so unnatural and that’s what made it so spooky and unnerving to the Cajun. What frightened him even more was the thought of the TVA doing this for a long time without anyone knowing—without people having any choice or say in the matter. Just whole towns and realities wiped from the timeline and dumped here.

“Ah wonder if dere’s a N’awlins here somewhere…” he mumbled.

“Probably. You’d be surprised at what you can find out here.”

“Too bad ya can’ build a proper town.”

“If it wasn’t for Alioth, we could.”

Thori found a metal pole and pulled it out to carry with him. It still had the broken frame of a lantern on one end, hanging by a few thin wires. It creaked as it swung back and forth. The Hel-Hound’s tail wagged happily as he proudly showed it off.

“Dis place creepy,” Gambit commented as they passed by a statue leaning out into the walkway. The head was completely gone.

“Yeah, but you get used to it after a while once you realize it’s just stuff.”

“How many people live here?”

“No one knows. Only certain ones survive—namely Lokis and those who have special powers or survival instincts. The rest…they either get eaten by Alioth or go mad and turn cannibalistic.”

“Deaph!” Thori put in, his voice muffled by the pole in his mouth.

Gambit swallowed, disturbed by that bit of information.

As if on cue, a plane materialized out of nowhere and dropped some distance away with a deafening, sickening crash. The wings crumpled up like soda cans on impact and flames and black smoke billowed from its engines. The suddenness of the incident made Gambit jump back in alarm. He pulled out a card and charged it by reflex. He put it back in his coat, though, when he saw they weren’t in any immediate danger.

“That’s what happens when stuff gets pruned here,” Child Loki explained. “Anything can drop anywhere at any moment.”

“Dey people on dere??”

“More than likely.”

“Should we try ta help dem?”

Child Loki shook his head sadly. “We can’t. There’s no time.” He pointed to a massive dark cloud fast approaching the plane. It looked more like rolling smoke than a cloud. Part of it extended out and formed, what appeared to be, a snake-like head with glowing red eyes. A mouth opened up, glowing red the same as its eyes, and a blood-curdling screech echoed across the field.

“Wha’ dat??” Gambit breathed. His wide eyes locked onto it and he found he couldn’t move from the spot he stood in. It was so frighteningly horrible, yet he couldn’t turn his eyes away.

“Alioth.”

They watched as Alioth quickly moved in to consume the plane. His body enveloped it in a matter of seconds like a swarm of bees. It didn’t take long. As soon as he covered it, he was done. The plane, what was left of it, was nothing more than a rusted, crumbling hull, like something that had been resting at the bottom of the ocean for centuries.

Gambit was speechless. His mouth stood open as his eyes traced over the plane’s decayed form. Blade had said that Alioth’s touch was death. He wasn’t kidding.

“Deaph!” Thori growled.

“That’s Alioth,” Child Loki whispered. “The monster.”

Alioth hovered in place beside the plane for a few minutes as if digesting what he’d just eaten, and then he moved on, returning to the sky and moving away in search of something else to consume.

“All dem people…”

“Dead. Eaten by the monster.”

“Deaph!”

“It’s always hard to watch when it happens. Usually, there’s no time to save people because Alioth comes fast. Like you saw with the plane; he can get there faster than we can. There’s no need to risk your own life for nothing. Some people get away sometimes, but the rest…” Child Loki shook his head sadly. “I’ve learned to look at it as an act of mercy. At least they don’t have to suffer in this place like the rest of us.”

The little group walked on in silence. While the incident was a common occurrence for Child Loki, it left Gambit feeling greatly disturbed. He wrapped his coat tighter around him as he studied the eerily disheveled town that grew worse the longer they walked. A courthouse stood upside down with cars stuck through the walls. A fire truck was wrapped around one of the columns like a piece of ribbon. Large pieces of road jutted up like ramps. A general store was broken in two with a water tower upside down in the middle. Broken lamp poles and bent street signs. Electrical wires balled up and wrapped around buildings, some of them the only thing holding the crumbling walls in place. There was a twisted-up playground with faded springy ride-on horses scattered around, looking more like freakishly shaped headstones than something fun kids used to ride on. As if this sight wasn’t bizarre enough, ahead of them, in the distance, was an Egyptian pyramid randomly placed on the other side of an open field. Beside it was the head of a large stone statue, the body buried deep in the ground. There was a cluster of stone Easter Island heads nearby (the only thing in this place that looked natural) as well as objects Gambit didn’t have names for but assumed came from other planets and realms. Everything looked old and decayed—Alioth’s work, no doubt.

“Here. The store is around this corner,” Child Loki finally spoke as they rounded a tall office building that tilted to one side. They walked for a few more minutes until they came out in a clearing surrounded by trees and more crumbling buildings. He led them to a Roxxcart store haphazardly placed in the middle of a cluster of houses crushed under its weight. The front doors were broken out and laying on the ground in front. Child Loki stopped here and turned to Gambit. Thori, however, dropped his lamp pole and ran inside without hesitation and began snooping around.

“First rule of living here is to be mindful of your surroundings,” said Child Loki. “Be careful you don’t get hurt, because there are no doctors, hospitals, or healers in The Void. Whatever injuries you sustain will have to be patched up with salvaged medical kits and supplies from hospitals dropped here. Or healed with a healing factor, if you have that. Going into places like this can open up doors to all kinds of hazards like broken glass, rusted metal, nails, wires, loose debris, rotted flooring, and so forth.”

Gambit nodded. He already liked the sound of no doctors and hospitals.

Child Loki continued, “I recommend testing the flooring before you step, and watch out for falling shelves and ceiling pieces. You don’t want to be trapped under one of those. Grab all the supplies you need. Nothing’s guaranteed to still be here later, especially if other groups and clans find it.”

They walked through the bent doorway into a badly disheveled inside. Like the rest of the area, it was just as badly shaken up as the wrecked town.

“How we find anythin’ in here?”

“You just have to dig for it.”

Yeah, but where to start? Shelves and their contents were piled high in the center and everywhere else with the building’s walls and ceiling crumbled in around them.

Gambit’s years on the streets trained him for survival, but he wasn’t sure that would be enough in The Void. As he stared at the inside of the store, his mind struggling to grasp it, he wasn’t sure anything could have prepared him for this. At least living on the streets of New Orleans meant he could always find food somewhere, even if it meant swiping it from a table in a local restaurant. Other supplies could be found in dumpsters easily enough. He never dreamed he’d be rummaging through an abandoned store for whatever was salvageable.

He tested an area of flooring before putting his weight on it. First things first. He searched for the essentials like toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, soap, deodorant, shaving cream, hairbrushes, and other hygiene items. He kicked loose ceiling and flooring and other stuff out of the way until he found a stash of what he was looking for. He picked up and bagged as much of it as he could. He even found some cologne that wasn’t damaged. It was the biggest heist he’d ever performed and it wasn’t even stealing. He laughed at the irony of it.

Next, he picked up some books, food items, and…clothes. He needed clothes since the only ones he had was the suit he was wearing. He grabbed up packages of socks and underwear. He found several pairs of men’s pajamas that weren’t entirely destroyed along with pairs of jeans and some T-shirts. He found a nice pair of black leather boots in his size. Overturning a huge chunk of ceiling insulation with the toe of his boot, he uncovered a pile of packs of playing cards and packages of poker chips. He eagerly scooped up every pack and shoved them inside his bag. As if stimulated by seeing the cards, he reached over and picked up a chunk of rock from a pile of debris and charged it with energy.

“Heh,” he laughed lightly as he stared at the pink glow. A childish grin parted his lips, and he hurled the rock to a far corner and exploded it.

Child Loki spun around, confused at what had happened. Thori started barking and growling.

Gambit grabbed a piece of ceiling panel and charged it. He threw it like a Frisbee and exploded it in mid-air. Another gleeful laugh left his mouth. It was exhilarating to be able to let loose and use his power without worrying he was going to damage something important. What was even better was he had an endless amount of ammunition at his fingertips. He was about to pick up more paneling when Child Loki ran over and snatched him by his coat.

“What are you doing?!” the little Loki squeaked.

Gambit charged the paneling with a little more energy and threw it. It made an even louder explosion than the last.

“Jus’ playin’,” he answered. “Havin’ fun.”

“Stop it before you signal Alioth!” Child Loki looked toward the door nervously.

“Ah thought ya like chaos.”

“I do. Under any normal circumstance, I’d approve, but not when my life’s at stake. Your explosions are like signal flares for the monster!”

Gambit stopped and moved on to rummage through more piles of store merchandise. He found some pillows, sheets, blankets, and a bed comforter. One pillow in particular caught his eye. It was a medium-sized round orange one. It instantly reminded him of Miss Minutes. He picked it up and gave it an affectionate squeeze before stuffing it in one of his bags. He turned around to see what the child Loki was doing. The little trickster was across from him on the other side, picking through piles of stuff and shoving plastic toy animals into his bag. Thori had found the pet aisle, apparently. He walked out from behind an overturned shelf with several rubber chew bones sticking out of his mouth. He gave them to Child Loki, who put them in his bag, and then he ran back to get something else.

They stayed for twenty more minutes until Gambit felt like he had all he could carry. After digging through another mound of stuff, he grabbed a chunk of plaster and charged it. He threw it and detonated it. Whatever charge he endued it with shook the building and caused pieces of the ceiling to rain down around them. Gambit laughed. He was about to grab another chunk when a deafening screech blasted over the building and scared him out of his wits. His head snapped up and his jaw dropped open.

Child Loki ran up to him and grabbed his arm. “I told you not to do that! Now you’ve brought the beast to our location!”

Another deafening screech blared out over them. Gambit kept his eyes on the ceiling. Through one of the holes, he could see the sky grow dark and then black as Alioth moved in place around them. Visions of the plane being consumed by the beast flashed through the Cajun’s head, and he panicked.

“Wha-wha’ we gonna do?? Blade says ya can’ kill it.”

“He’s right. We can’t. Grab your stuff and follow me!” Child Loki shouldered his own bag, scooped Thori up in his other arm, and ran for the door.

Somehow, they managed to slip through without Alioth noticing. Another screech sounded loudly like a trumpet blast. With him being this close, it was deafening. Child Loki ran as fast as he could with Gambit struggling to keep up. His bags weighed him down, but he was determined to make it out of this alive and with everything he found.

“This way!” Child Loki cried out as he banked a corner. He led them to a niche in the dilapidated houses where a huge sheet of metal was placed, propped at a slant. He grabbed hold of it and shoved it aside. Underneath was an opening that led down into a large, dark tunnel in the earth.

“Now ah really feel like Alice. Wha’ dis? A rabbit hole?”

“Drop your stuff and get in! Quick!”

Without questioning it, Gambit did as he was told. He had to get down on hands and knees to fit through, but he kept going as if his life depended on it, which it did. The ground on the other side slanted downward, much to his surprise. He took a tumble forward and slid headfirst to the bottom unexpectedly as if he’d gone down a short slide. The area he fell into at the bottom was small and cramped. It wasn’t big enough for a grown man to stand up in so he had to stay on his knees and crawl. It was made up of dirt from where it had been dug out and was cool, dark, and musty. He positioned himself in the farthest corner and hunkered there.

Child Loki lifted Thori with one hand and threw him inside, then he crawled in behind the Hel-Hound as he pulled the sheet of metal back in place and made sure it was secure. The jet-black darkness was instantly lit up with a soft warm glow radiating from the flames coming out of Thori’s mouth.

“There, that should do it.” Child Loki slid down the embankment and settled in place on the opposite side. “Now we wait until he passes.”

“Our stuff gonna be okay out dere?”

“Oh yeah, sure…maybe…” Child Loki smiled. “It’s mostly us he wants. Besides, I threw a sheet of rusted metal on top of it to disguise it before I crawled inside. It should be safe.”

Thori settled down right behind Gambit. The Cajun looked at him nervously out of the corner of his eye.

“Don’ ya bite my butt,” he whispered. In afterthought, he added, “Don’ ya burn it neither.”

Child Loki giggled. “Don’t give him any ideas. He loves butts.”

“Burrrrrn,” Thori growled. The flames from his mouth flared. “Thori burn Cajun’s butt.”

Gambit swallowed. “Ah don’ wanna go through dis again.”

Child Loki laughed.

“My clothes are fireproof, but ah can still feel de heat.”

Thori snorted flames out his nose.

“Ah ah. Don’ ya dare.” Gambit repositioned himself in the small space, putting his bottom out of easy reach. He pushed his back closer to the wall and kept his eyes on the dog. Thori, however, just sat there, panting around the yellow chew bone he still held in his mouth, flames coming out around it. Gambit didn’t understand what kept the bone from melting.

Thori put his bone down on the ground and licked his lips. “Can Thori burn Cajun’s butt?”

“No. Behave yourself.”

“Thori burn Cajun’s butt!” He stood up and wagged his tail.

Gambit shifted uncomfortably.

“I wouldn’t worry. He likes you.” Child Loki smiled.

“Ah’m not sure ‘bout dat. Ya weren’t dere earlier when he trynna barbeque me.”

“He said he changed his mind and likes you before we left the church.”

Gambit shifted wary eyes to the hound. Thori fixed him with glowing red eyes that had pinkish pupils in the centers. His tongue lolled out one side of his mouth while something like a smile curved the corners.

“Why flames come outta his mouth all de time like dat?”

Child Loki shrugged. “It’s just how he is. Glowing eyes and mouth flames—common for Hel-Hounds. One of his powers is he can generate Hellfire.”

“Dat…sounds lovely,” said Gambit sarcastically. He forced a smile.

Child Loki tilted his head as he studied Gambit. “Your eyes—they glow too.” He pointed at the Cajun’s soft pink irises.

“Dey do, yah.” He moved uncomfortably. He pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling them.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’. Why ya ask?”

“You seem nervous after I mentioned your eyes.”

Gambit’s mouth twitched as he played with his cards. “Ah never know how people gonna react ta me bein’ a mutant. ‘Specially after ah’ve scared people in de past. Some don’ take kindly to someone who’s eyes glow like de devil’s. Dey act like ya possessed. Ah was shunned for a long time ‘cause of dese eyes.”

“You’re an outcast same as me.”

Gambit looked at the child.

Child Loki smiled. “All Lokis are outcasts who have been treated much the same way. Most of us are Frost Giants from Jotunheim. It can be hard sometimes when you’re suddenly reminded that you look like this.” In the orange glow from Thori’s mouth, Gambit saw Child Loki’s pale skin melt away and turn into a bright blue—his eyes blood red.

Gambit blinked. He stretched out his hand and stopped. “May ah?”

“Sure.” Child Loki took Gambit’s hand and clasped his small fingers around the two middle fingers. “Only use the ones that are protected by your glove, though, unless you want a nasty frost burn.”

Slowly, Gambit traced his two middle fingers over the strange tribal-like markings that were etched on the small Loki’s face. He could feel an icy chill through his glove.

“Dis wha’ ya really look like?”

Child Loki nodded.

“All Lokis look like dis? Even de President and Eyeless?”

“Most of them do—the ones who are Frost Giants, anyway. Odin used magic to hide my appearance. Now, I use my own to hide behind.” Quickly, the blue was painted over by pale skin again, his eyes turning from red to white with blue irises. “Now, which of us looks like the devil?”

“Ah guess ah have nuttin’ ta complain ‘bout.”

“There’s no need to feel shame about your appearance here. We’re all outcasts with our own differences. Most of us have similar stories to tell, and none of us are going to judge the other.”

“Is…is your skin cold now?”

Child Loki shook his head. “Only when it’s blue.”

Thori snorted flames on Gambit’s thigh.

“Ahhh! Hey!” Gambit jumped and quickly ran his hand over the spot. Then he realized the flames hadn’t been hot—warm but not hot. His pants weren’t even smoldering. He looked at the dog, puzzled. “His fire…it not hot?”

Child Loki giggled. “I told you he likes you.”

“But…earlier it felt hot. It burned my hand.”

“Thori burn Cajun’s butt.” The dog clawed at Gambit’s leg and whined.

Child Loki gently swatted the hound. “Leave the nice man’s bum alone.” To Gambit he said, “Sorry. He’s got a thing for bums.”

“Ah gathered…” Gambit pulled his coat around him.

“If he breathes warm flames on your bum, it means he likes you. It’s his way of showing affection.”

“Can’ he jus’ lick my hand like a normal dog?”

Thori laid down across Gambit’s legs and sighed.

Cautiously, Gambit stretched out his hand and pet Thori’s head and smoothed down the little tuft of hair sticking up between his ears. He expected the hound to growl or snap at him, but, surprisingly, he lay still and seemed to enjoy it. He skritched the pup behind the ears. Thori closed his eyes and leaned into it.

“I think he decided he likes you after he saw you spank the President,” Child Loki giggled.

Thori’s ears perked up and his tail started wagging. “Spank the President!” He licked Gambit’s hand.

“So, how ya know dis place was here?” Gambit asked, changing the subject before Child Loki started asking questions he’d rather not answer.

“The eyeless Loki and I built it for just such an occasion. It helps to have emergency shelters you can run to when something like this happens. We made many of them in this area a long time ago for when we’re out gathering supplies.”

“How long we wait?”

Child Loki shrugged. “Hard to say.”

Silence followed.

Gambit cleared his throat. “So, did de TVA jus’ prune ya as a kid or ya older dan ya look?”

Child Loki idly played with a root between his feet. “A little of both, I guess. I was pretty young when they pruned me, as you can see, but I feel like I’ve matured in my mind since I’ve been here. You sorta have to. It’s a weird sensation, really. Your mind matures but your body stays the same because nothing grows here. Sometimes I feel like I’m part kid and part adult, which is…confusing.”

Gambit nodded. “Ya parents here too?”

Loki shook his head sadly.

“Ya miss ‘em?”

“Yes.” He tilted his head, his horned crown barely touching the roof of the shelter. “What about you? You have family to miss?”

“Not really. Ah ain’t know my parents. Was ‘bandoned when ah was a baby. ‘Dopted by a thieves’ guild. De guild de only family ah know. Ah have a daddy an’ brother dere, but ah’m not ‘specially close to my daddy.”

“You sound a lot like me. I was abandoned too.”

Gambit studied him.

“Most all Lokis were. Adopted by Odin, who we’re not especially close to, either. Why were you abandoned? Because of your eyes?”

“Yah,” said Gambit softly.

“And your power?”

“My power ain’t come out yet. It was my eyes—scared my parents, ah reckon.” He shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Do you ever find yourself angry with them?”

Gambit fingered his cards. “Sometimes. ‘Specially durin’ de time ah lived on de streets as a kid. Ah often wondered what it be like if my parents kept me.”

It was Loki’s turn to study the Cajun. “You lived on the streets by yourself when you were a kid?”

Gambit nodded.

“No home of any kind?”

“Only wha’ ah could make. Or, if lucky, find abandon buildin’.”

Thori let out a whimper.

“And I thought I had problems with Odin.” Child Loki shifted into a new position. “I guess this place brings back bad memories for you, then.”

Gambit nodded and looked at his cards. “Musta been nice havin’ parents even if dey was ‘dopted. Musta been nice havin’ a momma. An’ a daddy dat di’n’t teach ya ta be a thief.”

Loki remained quiet. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He’d spent a lot of time hating Odin before he was taken out by the TVA. Now, here was someone who would have given anything to have what he had.

“Ah always wanted a momma. ‘Specially when ah seen other kids have one. Always wanted ta know what it felt like for a momma hold me in her arms or put a bandage on my knee—kiss me g’night an’ tuck me in bed. An’ comfort me when ah’m scared.” Gambit shuffled his cards harder. “Ah wish ah had one righ’ now,” he muttered. “‘Cause ah’d be lyin’ if ah said ah ain’t scared.”

Child Loki understood his feelings since he’d spent a lot of time crying when he first arrived in The Void—alone, scared, panicked, and not knowing what to do. Then he’d met No Eyes Loki, who took him in. In the beginning, it had just been the two of them living in the old church. While the eyeless variant of himself could never replace Frigga, he’d acted as a guardian and older brother. But…Gambit had no one, except for their little group.

He reached out and patted Gambit’s foot. “There’s no need to be scared. You have us. We’ve survived this long, and so can you.”

Gambit smiled sadly.

“I’m sure my mother, Frigga, would have loved to adopt you,” Child Loki continued softly as he smiled. “We could have been brothers. You and me ganging up on Thor.”

Gambit’s smile widened.

“I would have given anything to see you put something charged down his trousers.”

“Burn!” Thori lifted his head and yipped.

Child Loki laughed. “Hey! We can still be brothers! You can be my big brother.”

“Ah’d like dat. But wouldn’t ya be de big brother? Ah knowed ya gotta be older dan me.”

“Hm. You might be right. I was just going by size.” He looked at the cards in Gambit’s hands and pointed to them. “So, what about your power? What does it do, exactly?”

Gambit held up a card and charged it to a blazing pinkish purple. His eyes glowed with the same intensity.

Thori barked and sat up, his eyes fixed on the card.

“Ah can charge dem wit’ kinetic energy. Make ‘em go boom.”

“You can charge anything?”

“Only inanimate objects.”

“And you can control everything? The charge strength and the detonations?”

“Wit’ my mind, yah.”

Child Loki stared at the card with fascination. “Coooool!”

“It very cool, yah.” The pink card dimmed to a soft glow, and Gambit’s eyes dimmed to match. He threw it away from them, up the embankment. The card exploded with a gentle snap like a firecracker.

“Bomb!” said Thori.

Child Loki laughed. “That’s neat!”

“Wha’ ‘bout you? Bein’ a snowman god, ah guess ya have lots of abilities?”

Loki chuckled. “I have magic like any Loki. Shapeshifting, illusion projection, spell casting, that sorta thing.”

“Ah noticed de President threw glowin’ green balls at me when he attack me.”

“Yeah. Magical bursts.” Child Loki lifted his hand. A glowing green swirling ball appeared in his palm. “Mine aren’t as advanced.” He threw it up the embankment where it exploded on impact. “But I’m still learning and practicing. Just wish my mum was here to help me…”

“Maybe we can practice together an’ work out a way ta combine our talents,” Gambit suggested.

“There’s an idea!” Child Loki’s face lit up with excitement. “We’ll have to find someplace where Alioth can’t hear us.”

Gambit wasn’t sure how long they waited. It felt like they talked an hour, but since time didn’t exist, it was hard knowing. All he knew was that the cramped space was starting to feel uncomfortable and stifling. It didn’t help that Thori moved up onto his lap so he couldn’t move into a better position. His bottom was starting to feel numb. The Hel-Hound was sound asleep with his head hanging over his thigh. Every so often, a paw or ear would twitch.

“He look innocent when he sleepin’.” Gambit skritched the pup’s ears gently. “He come here wit’ you?”

“No,” Child Loki answered. “I found him one day while I was out looking for supplies. Or rather, I guess he found me. He came running up to me out of nowhere. Been with me ever since.”

“He trynna burn your butt too?”

Child Loki giggled. “Yeah. He does it with everyone he likes. Like I said, it’s his way of showing affection. It doesn’t hurt, I promise.”

“He like de others much?”

“He likes and even respects the eyeless Loki. He’s sorta on the fence about Blade, though. He doesn’t like his vampire side for some reason.”

“Ah gather he don’ like de President much.”

“No. He’ll use a lot more heat on the President.”

“Ouch.” Gambit made a face at that. He smiled and scratched Thori’s exposed belly. The Hel-Hound stretched out to his full length in response.

“Ya t’ink it’s safe ta go out?”

“Don’t know. I can check.” Child Loki crawled forward up the embankment. Once at the top, he moved the metal door and peeked out. Bright daylight streamed down the tunnel. After a minute, he said, “I think it’s safe, but I’ll go out and make sure.” He positioned the sheet of metal next to the opening and crawled out.

“Hey,” Gambit said as he nudged Thori gently.

Thori stretched and yawned. “What is it, Cajun?”

“Ah t’ink it’s time ta leave.” He scratched Thori’s belly briskly, running his fingers up and down it.

Thori smiled and stood up. “You give good belly scratches.” He shook and jumped off Gambit’s lap. “You need to let Thori give you good butt warming.”

“Ah give ya all de belly scratches ya want, but ya leave my butt alone.” Gambit moved his legs, relieved to be able to move to a different position. He slid a hand under him. “It numb righ’ now.”

Thori chuckled. “Good warming will take away numbness.”

“T’ank ya, no.”

Child Loki poked his head in. “Yup. It’s safe to come out, but we need to hurry.”

Gambit motioned for Thori to go first. “We migh’ be on speakin’ terms now, but ah don’ trust ya not to barbecue my butt when ah’m crawlin’ out.”

Thori picked up his chew bone and went first, uttering something that sounded like snickering. “Burn Cajun’s butt.”

“Ya see? It words like dat dat make me not trust ya.” Gambit came out behind the Hel-Hound, grateful to be able to stand up again.

“Just as well. Thori gotta pee! Outta my way!” The pup immediately ran over to the nearest pile of rubble and hiked his leg.

“We’ll return home and come back tomorrow,” said Child Loki. “I don’t like staying in one place for too long when Alioth comes around. If he knows someone is nearby, he can stalk an area to see if they return.”

Gambit retrieved his bags and followed the little Loki out onto the main path, Thori keeping pace beside his feet.

They walked in silence as they focused on getting home. The trip back to the church felt shorter. Maybe because they walked at a faster pace this time, eager to put as much distance between them and Alioth as possible. Occasionally, Child Loki glanced around to make sure they weren’t leading the monster to their home. Fortunately, he wasn’t in sight anywhere.

He stopped suddenly, causing Gambit to almost bump into him.

“Wha’s wrong?”

Child Loki turned a grinning face to him. “I’ll race you home the rest of the way!”

“Ya on!”

“Last one there gets burned butt!” said Thori.

“He serious?”

“You can never tell, but I’m not taking any chances.”

“Neither am ah. Ya jus’ stay outta my way.”

“Ready…set…go!”

Child Loki had a head start since he was smaller and was carrying less baggage, but Gambit caught up soon enough. Thori ran along with them. It was difficult running over ground that was littered with wreckage. Once or twice, Gambit almost tripped over a stray brick or some other obstacle, which slowed him down even more. Child Loki, on the other hand, flew over everything with ease, attesting to the fact he’d been living in this wasteland longer and had become more agile at dodging stuff. As much as Gambit hated admitting it, Child Loki kept the lead and skidded to a stop just outside their property.

“Beat ya!” he proclaimed proudly as he huffed and puffed for air.

Gambit jogged up to stand in front of him, looking quite peeved. “Dat ain’t fair! Ah was loaded down wit all dese bags. And ah…HOO! What de??” Gambit jolted forward and turned around while feeling a strange warmth on his backside like someone had opened an oven door. He fell back and dropped some of his bags when he saw flames next to him. “AH! My butt! My bu…”

The flames dissipated. With wide eyes, Gambit looked down at Thori. He placed a hand behind him and felt his bottom. It was cool to the touch.

“Last one here gets burned butt,” Thori said. “Thori make rules.”

Gambit’s face reddened, and he looked at Child Loki.

Child Loki laughed.

Even though Thori’s fire hadn’t been hot, just warm like it had been back at the shelter, Gambit’s face still turned red with embarrassment. He turned around with his back facing Loki.

“Everythin’ okay back dere? Nothin’ smoulderin’?”

Child Loki continued laughing. “Everything’s fine. If he uses his warm flames on you, nothing’s gonna ignite.”

“Jus’ checkin’.” Gambit turned a scowl to Thori. The Hel-Hound just sat there, smiling up at him, obviously proud of his achievement.

“Thori burn Cajun’s butt!”

“Wha’ ‘bout you? Weren’t ya last one here? Shouldn’t ya be burnin’ ya own butt?”

Thori laughed. “Thori wasn’t part of the race. Thori referee.”

“Lame ‘scuse.”

Thori snorted flames at him.

Gambit jumped away, quickly picked up his bags, and turned to follow Child Loki. “Ah’m keepin’ my eyes on ya.”

Thori trotted behind, walking between Gambit’s feet. As he passed under, he breathed flames up between Gambit’s legs.

“Ahhh! Mon Dieu!” Gambit stumbled to the side to get away from the Hel-Hound, his hand reflexively falling to his crotch. He ran his hand down the inside of his legs to make sure nothing was burning. He glared down at the mutt. “Ya watch where ya breathe dem hellfire flames! Dere’s sensitive stuff under dere!”

“As if I didn’t already know.”

“Thori, that’s enough.” Child Loki laughed and motioned for the dog to come to him. “You’ve successfully burned the Cajun’s butt, now come on.”

Thori threw Gambit a sly, mischievous smile as he walked ahead. It was the kind of smile that silently said, “I’m not done with you yet.”

Gambit didn’t like that look. Not one bit. Thori’s flames might not be hot, but it was still an uncomfortable sensation. It felt like warm air being blown on you, but that’s not what made it uncomfortable. Seeing the flames that close to him made it uncomfortable. His mind wanted to process it as…well…flames. He was having a difficult time grasping the concept of heatless fire that didn’t burn. He checked himself over again to make sure nothing important was smoldering, then he started walking forward again.

Child Loki threw the chew bone.

“Fetch!” Thori shouted. “Murder!” He ran after it.

When they finally approached what constituted as their ‘front yard’, Blade looked up from where he was still sitting in his lawn chair. President Loki was sitting in the chair by the church entrance, sulking. His eyes shifted to them when they approached, training his eyes directly on Gambit.

“What happened?” Blade asked when he saw their appearances.

“Alioth almost had us,” Child Loki replied.

Blade stood up. “You didn’t lead him here…”

“No. He’s gone. We had to hide in one of the emergency shelters, though.”

“Ah’m sorry. It was my fault,” Gambit confessed. “Ah was explodin’ t’ings an’ it brought de creature to us.”

“You idiot! You almost brought the monster here??”

Everyone looked at President Loki.

“You’re concerned about that now?” Blade asked. “You weren’t earlier when you were the one causing the disturbance.”

“Das not what we said…”

“Fool!” President Loki spat. “You could have killed us all!”

“That’s enough,” said Blade. He smiled. “Unless you want Gambit taking you over his knee for another round.”

President Loki looked from Blade to Gambit. “You two think you’re so smart. I refuse to be humiliated by a freakish mortal!”

Blade pulled out a knife. “And I’d be happy not to see your face for the rest of today.”

President Loki’s mouth twisted up in a snarky smirk. “That’s going to be difficult, isn’t it, mongrel? Seeing as how I have variants around here.”

“You know what I mean.”

President Loki backed away slowly, his eyes shifting between Blade and Gambit. He turned and went inside the church.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him this week.”

“He frustrated. Ah can’ say as ah blame him, either. Livin’ in a place like dis bound ta make ya ill.”

“Did you find anything good?”

“Ah found plenty of stuff, yah.”

“Better than that cup the President brought back?” Blade grinned.

Gambit laughed. “Oh, yah. Much better dan dat.”

“We might go back tomorrow,” said Child Loki. “Depends on where Alioth is.”

“Ah need ta take dis stuff inside.”

“I’ll help with that.”

Gambit looked up at No Eyes Loki standing in the doorway, then he lowered his eyes to the newly placed stack of cement blocks under the doorway, which were stacked in the shape of steps.

“Even with our new steps, it’ll be difficult to get up here with your load.”

Gambit wanted to ask how he knew his load would be difficult since he couldn’t see his baggage, but thought better of it and kept silent. He walked forward. No Eyes Loki used his magic to lift the bags and set them just inside the doorway.

“I took the liberty of cleaning the clutter out of your room while you were away,” said No Eyes Loki as he led Gambit down the hallway. “It should look better and feel more livable.” He stopped and gestured to the room.

Gambit turned the corner and was suddenly looking at a brand new room. It was mostly empty now except for the bed, night table, a chair, and a stack of empty boxes piled next to the far wall along with a couple of tall bookshelves.

“T’anks. Ah appreciate it.” He set down his load of bags.

“The shelves and boxes are to store your supplies. If it’s not enough, let me know, and I’ll find more.” He waved his hand at the bed. “I also found a better mattress. One that’s not so worn and smells better. Hopefully, it’ll be more comfortable than the other one.”

Gambit tested the firmness of it. It did feel a lot better. “It’ll do jus’ fine. T’anks again. Ah found some sheets an’ blankets dat’ll jus’ fit it, ah t’ink.”

“Wonderful!” No Eyes Loki smiled. “I’ll leave you to settle in, then. If you need anything, just let me know.” With that, No Eyes Loki turned and left.

Gambit set to work unloading bags of everything imaginable. It would take him a while to categorize everything and sort it into groups. He had all the time in the world now, right?

The first thing he did was put sheets on the bed and then the blankets and pillows he’d found. It was finally starting to look like a normal bed. Maybe now he would get a better sleep. He stood there and stared at the orange round pillow that had reminded him so much of Miss Minutes. He touched the big round button in the center, thinking it resembled her nose. He wondered what she was doing now. Helping Mobius, he suspected.

He carefully placed the pillow at the head of the bed, next to his sleeping pillow, and moved on. Next, he emptied out toiletries and clothing items and began sorting them. He made a mental note to look for a small dresser the next time they went to the store.

Thori pattered in while holding a brand new yellow happy face ball in his mouth. He stopped next to Gambit’s foot and deposited it there—the ball’s goofy face smiling up at the Cajun.

“Wha’ ya wan’ now?”

“Play fetch!” Thori’s tail wagged back and forth, sweeping the floor.

Gambit smirked. “Can ya wait till ah’m unpacked?”

The Hel-Hound looked disappointed. “That will take ages,” he whined after glancing at the bags around him. “Thori want to play fetch now!”

“Well, ah can’.” Gambit took an armload of items and walked to the other side of the room. Here he pulled down one of the empty boxes, knelt beside it, and filled it with his supplies, categorizing containers of deodorant together on one side and toothpaste on the other.

Thori walked up beside him, put his nose down in the box, and sniffed. Not finding it interesting enough to care, he walked around behind the Cajun. Without warning, he nipped Gambit’s bottom.

“OW! Hey!” Gambit straightened up and put a hand behind him. He eyed the little dog, who had a devious smirk on his mouth.

“Play fetch?” Thori picked up his ball and offered it.

Gambit frowned. “Ah dunno after wha’ ya jus’ did.”

“Burn Cajun’s butt,” Thori snarled.

Gambit lifted a hand. “N-n-non, don’ do dat again. Please. Ah’ll play fetch wit’cha. Ah can do dis later.” He leaned down and allowed Thori to put the ball in his hand.

“You going out again?” Blade asked when Gambit walked past him, Thori in the lead. The little dog scampered happily ahead as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Shouldn’t you stay put until Alioth forgets about you?”

“His Majesty, Deathripper wanna play fetch,” Gambit said simply without stopping.

“What kinda hold does he have on you?”

Gambit’s face turned red. “Uh…he gonna burn my bum if ah don’ play wit’ him.”

Blade smirked amusingly.

“We ain’t goin’ far,” Gambit called out after they walked a little way down the path in the opposite direction. “Ah ain’t gonna get lost an’ Alioth eat us up.”

“We won’t get lost,” Thori assured. “Just a little bit more.”

When the Hel-Hound stopped, they were in an open, hilly field. Rusted hulls of cars littered the outer edge on one side. There was an oddly shaped, tall hill and outcropping in the distance—a moss-covered statue of some sort perhaps.

“Nice big field for playing fetch!” Thori exclaimed. “No digging through garbage to find ball.”

Gambit threw the ball and Thori ran after it.

They played a few rounds of the game before something on the outcropping caught Gambit’s attention. Something familiar.

“Hey! Dat look like a time door.” He stood there and stared at the golden doorway. “It is a time door!”

“Fetch!” Thori stood on his hind legs, offering the ball.

“Dere’s a time door over dere.”

Thori dropped the ball. “So? Thori wanna play fetch!”

“Why would dere be one? Ah thought de TVA couldn’t open one here.”

Thori locked his jaws on Gambit’s coattail. He growled and tugged on it.

“Stop!” Gambit waved him away.

Thori breathed flames on his backside. “Burn you!”

“Woo! Thori!” His eyes widened and he clasped his hands on his rear. “Dat’s enough of dat!”

When he turned back around the time door was gone.

Chapter Text

Word of Warning: This chapter contains graphic depictions of abusive spanking that, to some, might be considered violent content. There is also brief talk and flashbacks containing past torture/abuse. If this disturbs or triggers you, then don’t read it.

Gambit got a better sleep that night. However, he still spent the first half of it fitfully until he finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep. Maybe it was the strange noises outside again or perhaps it was the whole sensation of sleeping in The Void—knowing that at any second a building or a plane could materialize over the church and kill them all if Alioth didn’t do it first. He didn’t know. It was probably the latter. At one point, his thoughts returned to the time door he’d seen, and he wondered who could have been using it. It wasn’t possible to open a time door to The Void. Miss Minutes had explained that to him before he pruned himself. The tempads couldn’t lock on to The Void—something about there being no time. So…how? Who?

When morning arrived, Thori pushed open the door to Gambit’s room and walked in, his little clawed feet clicking on the floor. He jumped on the foot of the bed and sniffed around the Cajun’s feet and legs.

Despite having new clothes, Gambit was in full armor and sleeping sprawled on his stomach with the covers pulled down well below his knees and bunched up around his feet, attesting to the restless night he’d had. He had one of his thumbs half stuck in his mouth and the round orange pillow wedged tightly in the crook of his arm.

Thori stared bemused and tilted his head to the side. “Baby Cajun?”

“Mmmph,” Gambit mumbled. He pushed his thumb farther into his mouth, curling his fingers over the bridge of his nose, and buried his face deeper into the pillow.

Thori walked up to stand over his face and sniffed his hair. “Wake up, peasant,” he said.

Gambit moaned around the thumb in his mouth. “G’way. ‘M shtill shleepin’.”

“Vile human creature,” said the hound. He let out a shrill yip.

“Ah say g’way. Chepasse.” Gambit turned his head over the opposite way, still keeping a thumb securely in his mouth.

Thori nudged his side.

Gambit took his hand and pushed the dog away.

Thori growled. “Baby Cajun, get up.” He barked shrilly.

“Ya sound like a Chihuahua,” Gambit mumbled.

“I do not! Thori sound like death—violent, painful death!”

Gambit moved his legs and pushed him away.

“Notnowgimmefivemoreminutes…” he slurred sleepily. “Go fix me some coffee an’ grits et grillades.”

“Thori not your servant!” The pup jumped between Gambit’s legs. His eyes glowed a bright red as he sized up the shapely bottom in front of him.

“Thori burn Baby Cajun’s butt,” he said. “Burn! Get Baby Cajun out of bed.” Opening his fiery mouth, he breathed out a burst of orange flames right across the entirety of Gambit’s backside.

“AHHHH!!” Gambit shouted as he jolted forward and banged his head on the wall. “Oowwwooo!” He winced and grabbed his head with one hand and clapped his other hand over his rear. As before, Thori’s fire hadn’t been hot in the slightest. It was a little warmer than the last time but still not hot enough to actually burn. His head hurt a lot worse. He clenched his teeth as he rubbed out the throbbing pain.

“Ya fou mutt. Wha’ ya t’ink ya doin’?”

“Burn Baby Cajun’s butt!” the hound repeated.

Gambit glared over his shoulder. “Dis gonna be a habit wit’ you?”

Thori smiled. “Thori lighting a fire under your butt is a good way to get stubborn Baby Cajun out of bed.”

“Not sure ah agree wit’ dat,” Gambit grumbled. “Ah’m glad ya like me well enough not ta use your full heat.” He rubbed his bottom.

“Who says I won’t?” Thori opened his mouth and flames flickered around his lips. “Does Thori need to roast Baby Cajun’s butt?”

Gambit shook a finger at the hound. “Don’ ya dare!”

Thori nipped his bottom.

“Hey, hey! Watch where ya nippin’! No nippin’. No burnin’. Ah’m up! Ah’m up! Wha’ ya want?”

“Play fetch!” Thori wagged his tail happily.

Gambit looked bewildered. “Wha? Ya burn my butt an’ make me hit my head jus’ so ah can play fetch wit’cha??” He stood up. “Ya can forget it.”

Thori lunged forward and bit Gambit’s bottom.

“OW!” Gambit spun around and rubbed his rear vigorously. “Okay! Geez! Wha’ ya got against my bum?”

The hound smirked. “Thori don’t have anything against it. It’s fun. Fun to burn and bite. Your reaction is fun. You’re so dramatic even when flames not even hot.”

“Ah don’ like de sound of dat.”

“Don’t worry. Thori good dog. Only burn your butt a little. Just pleasantly warm it with love warms. Won’t hurt you.”

“Ah still don’ like de sound of dat. Ya leave my bum alone. It ain’t for burnin’ an’ it ain’t for bitin’.”

“Thori can control temperature of flames. When warm, they won’t ignite or burn anything.”

Gambit still looked nervous. “Ah gathered dat. So…it like ah can control de strength of my charges?”

Thori nodded. “Right. Put your hand down here.” Thori moved his paw up and then down, patting the bed.

He was hesitant to do so, but finally offered Thori his hand.

The dog breathed out a stream of flame on it, which made Gambit pull it back by reflex, but the flames didn’t feel hot. Slowly, ever so carefully, he stretched out his hand and swiped it through them. They were warm like the temperature of warm water—quite relaxing, in fact. He wiggled his fingers through them. When he pulled his hand back it was perfectly fine. No fire, no burns, no smoky smell, no scorching to his gloves, and nothing to indicate he’d even had his hand in the fire.

“See? Just pleasantly warm.”

“But how ah know ya won’ turn up de heat on my bottom?”

Thori smiled impishly. “You said your pants are fireproof?”

“Ouais…” Gambit lifted an eyebrow.

“I might have to turn it up just a little.”

“How much is little?”

“Not much. Thori good dog. Will only feel like hot water. Still not enough to ignite.”

Gambit shifted uncomfortably.

“Okay. Thori will keep it feeling like warm water.”

Gambit couldn’t help noticing the smirk on the dog’s mouth.

Thori stepped forward and licked his hand. “Thori like you. Will never hurt you.” He licked Gambit’s fingers. “You do have nice butt, though. Good for warming.”

“Uh…t’anks? Ah guess.”

Thori smiled. “We all have our hobbies.”

“Sounds ta me like ya need a new one.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause one ya got now is disturbin’.” He pointed to his rear. “An’ wha’ ‘bout dis bitin’? Ya say ya won’ hurt me, but den ya go an’ take a chunk out.”

Thori grinned. “Love bites. Won’t hurt you much with them, either. Thori like smelly mutant.”

Gambit scowled. “Smelly?”

“Smell like gumbo.”

“Ya better not have rabies.”

The Hel-Hound laughed. “Thori ate rabies. Poo!”

“Woo! Dat last one hurt.” Gambit rubbed his bottom.

“Sorry.”

“But not as much as Mobius usin’ dat switch on me,” he mumbled.

Thori’s ears perked up. He snickered. “Baby Cajun still earns himself spankings?”

Gambit’s cheeks reddened. “Erm…” He shifted his eyes to the dog. Thori smiled back at him expectantly, his head tilted to the side. “Mobius jus’ spanked me a few times at de TVA.”

Thori laughed. “Baby Cajun got his butt spanked!”

“It ain’t funny!” Gambit scowled. “An’ why ya call me Baby Cajun?”

Thori grinned knowingly. “Thori saw you sucking your thumb like baby while you were sleeping.”

The red in Gambit’s cheeks darkened up to his ears. He swallowed and leaned forward, putting his hands on the bed. “If ya so much as breathe a word ‘bout dat…so help me…”

“Or what?”

“Ah’ll…”

Thori licked his nose. “Baby Cajun not worry. Thori will keep secret. You looked cute, though.”

Gambit closed his eyes and scrunched up his face, struggling to keep his composure.

“Baby Cajun sucks his thumb and gets spankings. Thori thinks it’s cute.” The dog laughed.

“Ah told ya it ain’t funny.” Gambit hissed through clenched teeth.

“Oh, but I think it is.”

Startled, Thori and Gambit turned their eyes to the door.

President Loki was leaning against the frame, smirking amusingly. How long he had been standing there listening to the conversation, Gambit didn’t know. Somehow he had a heavy feeling he’d heard every single word. His cheeks turned even redder.

Thori growled, the hair on his back standing on end.

“H-how long ya been standin’ dere?”

“Long enough,” President Loki replied.

“Don’ ya know it impolite ta eavesdrop?”

“I know, but it’s not going to stop me from doing it.” The trickster pushed away and stepped inside. He kept his eyes on Gambit like he was sizing up the Cajun for his prey.

Thori barked. “Dirty President! Die! Murder you!”

“Shut up, you little filthy beast!”

Thori flew off the bed and bit and snapped at President Loki’s feet and legs. He jumped up in an attempt to bite his backside, but President Loki easily turned out of the way. That didn’t stop the little Hel-Hound, though. He skittered around and breathed fire at the President’s backside, which actually singed the bottom part of his suit coat.

“Stop that!” President Loki shouted angrily. He turned his smoking rear out of reach, patting and brushing it with his hands. Quickly, he drew back his leg and kicked Thori out the door—the pup screaming out painfully—and slammed it closed. Violent scratching was heard on the other side along with a lot of colorful language.

“Hey! Don’ do dat ta him!” Gambit stepped forward.

President Loki lifted a hand to stop the Cajun and fixed him with a firm glare. “You stay right where you are.” He locked the door. “I knew there had to be a reason behind why you said you learned to spank at the TVA. Now I know my assumptions were correct.”

Gambit didn’t like the way President Loki looked at him. He slowly backed away toward the table beside the bed.

“Poor little mutant.” President Loki grinned as he slowly advanced toward Gambit. “You were spanked by the TVA,” he purred. “Just like I was before they dumped me in this miserable place. Did Mobius use that infernal ruler on you too?”

Gambit reached behind him and picked up a deck of cards all while keeping his eyes on the advancing trickster. He could hear Thori’s scratching and chewing at the door become more fevered.

“Ah don’ see it bein’ none your business.”

President Loki laughed. “None of my business? You spank me and then have the gall to say it’s none of my business?”

“Ya deserved it. Jus’ as ya probably deserved wha’ Mobius gave ya.”

“And I suppose you didn’t deserve what Mobius gave you?”

Gambit’s mouth twitched and he swallowed. “Wha’ went on at de TVA ain’t none your business.”

“But what goes on here right now is my business.” A riding crop materialized in President Loki’s hand.

Gambit eyed it warily and then turned a confused look back to Loki. “W-w-wha’ ya gon’ do?”

A cruel smile creased President Loki’s lips. “You weren’t properly punished for the Alioth incident yesterday, little mutant. I can’t have you doing that and getting away with it.”

“Ah said ah was sorry. De others, dey di’n’t t’ink no more ‘bout it.”

“Of course they wouldn’t. They go easy on everyone. Especially that no good, eyeless ‘brother’ of mine.” President Loki brought the crop down on the bed with a muffled pop. Gambit jumped. “Me? I’m not as easygoing, manbaby. I’m the leader here and what I say goes.”

“Blade an’ No Eyes said dere ain’t no leader.”

President Loki brought his crop down again, harder. “They’re both idiots! I’m the leader of this group, therefore I have the right to punish you as I see fit, manbaby!”

“Don’ call me dat.”

“Why not? It fits, doesn’t it? You still suck your thumb like a wittle baby.”

Gambit turned his eyes down to his feet, his cheeks flushing red again.

“Do you still wear a nappy too? Hm? You want me to bottle-feed you?”

Gambit scowled darkly but chose to remain quiet.

President Loki took a few more steps forward, all the while tapping the bed with his crop. “I think you need a lesson in manners, manbaby. Especially if you’re going to stay here with us.”

“My manners are jus’ fine,” Gambit mumbled. He refrained from commenting on President Loki’s manners or lack thereof.

“Doesn’t look like it to me if you’re willing to kill us all just to explode a few things.”

“Me, ah made a mistake, yah! Ain’t no one livin’ dat ain’t made a mistake! Includin’ you! As ah recall, ya de one who was screechin’ loud like a lil’ girl yesterday when Thori was bitin’ all over ya an’ ah exploded ya britches. So ah ain’t de only one who almost brought Alioth here.”

President Loki’s face reddened. “I don’t make mistakes!”

“Den why ya here in de Void wit’ de rest of us? De TVA thought ya made one!”

“SHUT UP!” President Loki swiped his hand across Gambit’s face swiftly with a resounding SMACK that knocked the Cajun off balance. He grabbed the night table for support.

After regaining his senses, stinging pain blossoming over his cheek, Gambit charged a card and was about to throw it in defense, but President Loki struck like a snake and took him by surprise. Before he realized what was happening, Loki had his hand clamped tightly around his wrist, forcing the card out of his hand.

“Ah ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” President Loki slammed Gambit’s hand against the wall. Then he brought his crop down on his thigh with a brisk pop. Fortunately, Gambit’s pants were armored in the area the crop made contact with so he didn’t feel it. His hand, however, was beginning to throb. Gambit gasped.

President Loki brought the crop down again. “Uncharge the card and drop it!”

Gambit knew he could take President Loki…maybe. Then again, Loki was a god or a Frost Giant or whatever. He wasn’t sure how powerful he really was, but he knew it probably trumped his own power if his strength was any testament. Already, it felt like Loki could snap his hand clean off if he had a mind to. He’d be a fool to think he could win this battle alone.

He dropped the charge and let go of the card. The deck of cards in Gambit’s other hand fluttered to the floor.

“Now, I want you to place your hands over your crotch.”

“Ah beg pardon?”

President Loki thwacked Gambit’s arm with the crop. “DO IT, MANBABY!”

Gambit did as he was told.

“Good. I want you to keep them there. I figure you won’t charge anything to explode if you have your hands on your privates.”

“Ya obviously don’ know me.” Gambit smirked.

President Loki waved his hand and Gambit’s hands came together, bound by a green mist.

“W-w-wha ya doin’?”

A smirk lifted the President’s lips. “I’m going to punish you.”

Gambit looked down at his hands. “Is…is bindin’ my hands really necessary?”

Without answering, President Loki grabbed the Cajun by the arm and pulled him around to face the bed. What Gambit felt next was the trickster’s hands grabbing at the waistband of his pants.

“I’m assuming these are armored? They must be since you didn’t flinch much when I smacked you earlier.” President Loki tugged Gambit’s britches down, revealing his underwear. “I want to make sure you feel this.” Next, President Loki yanked down his boxers in one swift jerk to join his pants bunched around his knees, baring him completely.

Gambit swallowed, suppressing a whimper. “Y-yah ain’t doin’ dis right. Dis ain’t da way ya supposed to—OW!”

A line of fire came down and burned across Gambit’s backside before he even knew what happened, taking his breath away. It was a few seconds before his mind processed that President Loki had brought the crop down on his rear. It stung about as bad, if not worse, than the switch Mobius had used on him.

“Enough of your prattle, mortal!” President Loki seethed. “Or I’ll bind your tongue!” He brought the crop down across the Cajun’s backside again in a quick lash, earning a pained gasp from the other man. “I want you to lie facedown across the bed. NOW!” Another searing line of pain was applied to the bared butt and made Gambit shift from one foot to the other. “DO IT!”

Gambit had no choice but to comply. Whimpering, he moved forward and flopped face down across the bed. He clenched and unclenched his bound hands. He could still charge the bedding to explode, but he didn’t fancy blowing himself up in the process.

Thori barked and hurled insults at President Loki from the other side of the door. A loud splintered crack filled their ears and made President Loki glance in that direction. Seeing the door was still holding, he turned his attention back on Gambit. He took hold of the Cajun and roughly adjusted him and pinned him in place where his bottom was tilted high in the air. He brought his crop down hard across Gambit’s underside.

Gambit was determined to remain strong, but feeling the flaming line of pain bite into the underside of his rear like a hot branding iron drew out the strangled, pain-filled cry he was trying hard to suppress. Another lash came down, higher up this time, fiery pain blooming in its wake. Gambit screamed out and kicked his legs.

“Mercy! Dis ain’t right!” he sniveled.

President Loki smiled devilishly at hearing the man’s cries. “Good. I enjoy hearing that.” He brought the crop down seven times in quick succession, moving it up Gambit’s backside.

“Yooow! Owwwwwww!” Gambit cried out miserably. This spanking already felt different from what Mobius had given him—if you could call it a spanking. Mobius hadn’t done it so hard, and he hadn’t left damage outside of what a normal spanking should. Even though it had been painful at the time, Mobius had taken great care not to permanently hurt him…because he cared about him. He cared for him enough to correct him but not seriously hurt him. President Loki, on the other hand, didn’t care. It was clear by the trickster’s actions that he was only aiming to cause him pain at the expense of his own satisfaction. “Dis all wrong. Dis not true spankin’. Dis abuse. Dis revenge.”

Another line of burning pain landed across his rear. He jolted forward and hissed, uttering a watery, pained cry.

“You’re right, manbaby. It’s payback for that spanking you gave me and the exploding card you put in my pocket, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of this.” President Loki adjusted Gambit so he couldn’t move or kick, using his magic to pin Gambit’s legs in place. “You seem to enjoy inflicting pain on my posterior so I’m going to make sure yours pays dearly.”

“Ah don’ enjoy inflictin’ pain on ya! Ah told ya ah spanked ya ‘cause ya deserved it! An’ ya deserved de card in ya pocket, too, for bein’ such an arrogant brat!” Gambit tried moving against the new restraints, only to discover he couldn’t move his legs at all. Panic shot through him and he wiggled his bottom, attempting to roll over. This earned him a searing line of fire across his butt cheeks.

“Owwwwwww!” the Cajun cried out. Tears spilled down his cheeks. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes closed as the burn from the crop settled into his skin.

“I don’t think so,” said President Loki. He waved his hand and Gambit’s body made heavy contact with the bed as if he suddenly became a huge magnet.

The Cajun tried moving again, but his body wouldn’t move like he’d become paralyzed. The beating itself was bad enough, but the trapped feeling was excruciating. It was just like when Sinister strapped him naked to a lab table and stuck him with needles. He couldn’t move then, either, and was forced to endure the hot stinging pain of each needle inserted into his skin. A cold sweat overtook him and he started to hyperventilate. “Please, lemme up. Ah don’ like ta be trapped.”

President Loki ignored him as he brought the crop down in earnest with barely any breaks between each swat so that it blurred into one ginormous searing pain. What was worse is that it came down harder and harder the longer he did it. He turned the Cajun’s bottom from a dusty pink to a cherry red with dark angry lines.

“Stoppit! Lemme up!” Gambit cried out in a strained voice. “Ya jus’ mean an’ sadistic! Ya de one who enjoys inflictin’ pain!”

President Loki remained silent, however, and focused on his task. A satisfied smile lifted the corners of his mouth every time Gambit cried out.

Gambit cried and gasped through the whole session, scrunching his face up against the building pain that became overwhelming and threatened to overload his mind. Tears streamed in rivers down his red face. Gambit’s thoughts, again, were thrown back to the torture and abuse he’d suffered under Sinister. While President Loki wasn’t jabbing him with needles and probing him, the pain across his backside together with the restraints awakened the nightmarish memories he harbored deep inside him.

“STOP! PLEASE! AH BEG YA!” Gambit screamed out in panic. “AH CAN’ TAKE NO MORE! PLEASSSSE STOOOOP! RELEASE ME, PLEASE!” The reservoir broke. His butt felt like it was swollen and on fire, and he knew for a fact the President’s crop had left damage. He could feel it take angry, stinging bites out of his flesh every time it came down.

“Release me, release me, release me…” Gambit repeated, his head trembling. Despite the restraints President Loki had on him, a shudder rippled through his body. His eyes glowed a bright pink.

President Loki didn’t stop but kept going. If anything, he brought the crop down harder. He grinned in sick pleasure when he saw Gambit’s tears and heard his cries. “You have no idea how happy it makes me seeing you cry and scream, manbaby.”

“ARÊTE!! ARÊTE!!” Gambit screamed out hoarsely with more tears streaming down his cheeks. “Pleasssssse…” He wanted to say a lot more—scream out a lot more—but those were the only words he could force out of his mouth in between sobs and hitched breaths.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” President Loki never let up. Instead, he brought the crop down even harder, all the way down the backs of Gambit’s thighs before returning to his welted, cut, and bleeding backside. Gambit screamed out in agony.

Finally, the pain stopped, and Gambit was able to release the breath he’d been holding, spitting out saliva and snot. Fear gripped him when he felt the rough hand of President Loki jerk him up by the arm and force him to the floor.

“W-w-wha’ ya gon’ do now?” Gambit managed to choke out in a raspy, watery voice.

“I’m just getting started, manbaby.” President Loki propped a foot on his back and prepared to continue the beating with the Cajun lying facedown on the floor.

“Please have mercy,” Gambit mewled. “No more! Please, release me. Dis ain’t a spankin’. Dis is cruel abuse!”

Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing crack, and pieces of the door flew all over the room. Before Gambit’s numb mind registered what had happened, a streak of flying black fur was on top of President Loki. The trickster let out a high-pitched howling scream, the likes of which Gambit had never heard come out of a grown man’s mouth.

“DIE! MURDER YOU!” Thori snarled as he bit at President Loki’s arms, shoulders, hands, face, and whatever else he could clench between his teeth.

President Loki continued screeching and throwing his arms in front of him to shield himself from the attack as he fell back against the bed. The crop had long since been abandoned on the floor beside Gambit as he frantically tried in vain to get the little Hel-Hound off him.

Thori buzzed all over him, tearing at his clothes and biting while uttering obscenities.

President Loki manage to roll away from the bed and stumble toward the door. “UNHAND ME, YOU FILTHY CUR!” he screeched out. “OWWWW!!”

Thori’s response to that was sinking all of his sharp teeth deep into the President’s backside as he shouted, “YOU LEAVE BABY CAJUN ALONE, FILTHY DIPWAD!”

President Loki finally shook off the dog and nearly tripped over his own feet as he scrambled to the doorway.

“You insolent beast! I’ll have you horsewhipped for this humiliation!” he cried out angrily.

Thori snarled. “Thori will not be whipped with a horse!” With that, he ran forward. President Loki shrieked and bolted into the hallway, Thori skittering after him. There was another loud, high-pitched scream as Thori breathed out a huge burst of scorching fire on President Loki’s retreating backside.

Gambit lay in a daze on the floor, his mind barely acknowledging what was going on. He felt the magic restraints disappear from his body the second Thori broke President Loki’s concentration, but he was in too much pain to move. He winced and tried to get up on his elbow but fell back on his side. It was no use. With his breathing labored, fresh tears streamed down his cheeks. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he wished for all the world he was back in his guild home in New Orleans.

The fast clicking of clawed, padded feet filled his ears. He never thought he’d welcome such a sound, but in this moment, it was the most comforting sound he’d ever heard. He cracked open his eyes to see black fur filling his blurred vision.

Thori whimpered and licked his face. “Baby Cajun okay?”

Gambit shook his head and cried harder, not caring who saw him in his weakened state anymore. “Ah need help,” he pushed out with strained breath.

“Thori murder him! Death to the President! DIE!”

“Thori…” Gambit gasped out hoarsely.

Growling, Thori ran from the room.

“Thori!” Gambit repeated. It was too late. Thori was gone. He went to finish off President Loki, he assumed.

The Hel-Hound wasn’t gone for more than a minute when Gambit heard heavy footsteps running down the hallway.

“What happened? What’s going on in here?” Blade’s voice was loud and clear. “Judas Priest. What happened, man?” The vampire hunter was hovering over Gambit. “You’re bleeding.”

Thori was at Gambit’s side again, licking his face.

“My friend, what’s happened?” No Eyes Loki also asked as he ran to join Blade at his side. The blind Loki knelt beside the mutant and placed a gentle hand on him to feel. He stopped short when he touched the Cajun’s bare hip like he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Child Loki came up behind them and knelt next to Gambit’s feet. “You’re hurt!”

“Da president Loki, he beat me. Owww. My butt…” Gambit gasped and winced. “He spanked me. But not like…” he gasped again, swallowing, “…not like ya supposed to.” He slid a hand behind him slowly and felt his hot, welted skin.

“He beat him,” said Thori.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Blade snarled.

“MURDER!” Thori shouted.

The vampire hunter turned to leave but Gambit stopped him. “Non! Don’!”

Blade turned a puzzled look at him. “Why not? Look at yourself, man. Your butt’s bruised and bleeding. He hurt you. He can’t be trusted.”

Gambit shook his head. “Leave him be. He migh’ hurt ya instead. He ain’t right. He got whole mess o’ demons he fightin’. Let me talk wit’ him.”

“You sure that’s wise? I mean, the man just assaulted you severely.” Blade cringed when he glanced at Gambit’s rear again. “This is messed up.”

Gambit nodded. “Jus’…jus’ help me to de bed.”

No Eyes Loki and Blade helped Gambit to his feet and held on to his arms to steady him as they guided him the short distance to the bed. Gambit cringed and gasped with every step. When he was at the bedside, he flopped down on his stomach and groaned. He knew he was exposed for everyone to see, but he didn’t care.

“Ah’m sorry for de view back dere…” He felt his face flush warmer.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Blade patted his shoulder as he assessed the damage. “Don’t worry about it, big guy,” he repeated. “We’re all guys here.” He turned to No Eyes Loki and softly said, “You want to get some medical supplies from our storage and clean this up?”

No Eyes Loki nodded.

“I’ll help,” said Child Loki.

“Good. I’m gonna go hunt down a president.” Blade pushed his way past No Eyes Loki and stormed out of the room.

“DEATH! MURDER!” Thori screamed out and started barking.

“Quiet, Thori!” Child Loki shushed the hound.

“I’m going to get something to clean your wounds,” said No Eyes Loki as he touched Gambit’s shoulder. Despite being eyeless, the blind Loki looked gravely concerned over the whole incident.

The Cajun nodded.

No Eyes Loki turned and stopped when his foot hit something on the floor. Leaning down, he felt around until his hand touched President Loki’s crop. He picked it up and ran his hand down the length of it.

“What’s that?” Child Loki asked.

“Nothing,” the blind Loki replied simply. The crop disappeared in a puff of green smoke. “It’s nothing.”

When No Eyes Loki left, Gambit scooted on his stomach, moved farther onto the bed, and repositioned himself with his head on the pillow. He was exhausted and felt like he could go back to sleep.

Child Loki sat down next to him. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Ah’ll be fine. Ah heal myself.” Gambit winced.

“You can do that? You have a healing factor too?”

Gambit nodded. “My energy can heal.”

“Until that happens, is there anything you want us to do?” He glanced at Thori.

Gambit shook his head. “Non. Jus’ clean me up, an’ ah’ll be fine. Jus’ gonna lay here an’ sleep a while…” His eyes drooped. “Could use a drink of water.”

Thori whimpered. “Baby Cajun’s butt looks bad.”

Gambit sniffled and wiped his face.

“Need a tissue?”

“Dat would be nice, yah.”

Child Loki walked to the night table, pulled a few tissues from the box there, and handed them to the Cajun.

“T’ank ya.”

“I’ll go help the eyeless one and get you a glass of water.” Child Loki ran out of the room.

Thori walked over and began licking the Cajun’s face.

“Mmph, stop.” Gambit gently pushed the dog away. “Ah don’ feel like it.”

“Baby Cajun okay?” he whimpered.

Gambit shook his head, tears filling his eyes. He stuck his thumb tightly in his mouth and stared blankly, wondering what he ever did to deserve such misery.

Thori licked the hand Gambit was sucking on and followed it up to his face. He planted one last wet lick on his cheek and then walked behind him. A chill instantly went up Gambit’s spine. He raised his head, temporarily removing his thumb from his mouth. “Please don’. No more fire. Not now.”

But Thori wasn’t going to do what Gambit thought. The Hel-Hound lay down between his bare legs, positioning himself as close to his rear as possible.

“I protect you. Thori guard Baby Cajun’s butt from vile President.”

Gambit smiled. “T’ank you. Ah’m sorry ah can’ play fetch.”

Thori licked Gambit’s leg.

“Did de TVA prune ya ‘cause ya got kind heart?” Gambit asked.

“Who says I’ve got kind heart? Thori a Hel-Hound. Hel-Hounds don’t have hearts. We’re death!”

Gambit smirked. “‘Course ya are, Deathripper.”

“Darn right!” Thori propped his front legs on Gambit’s thigh and struck a regal guard dog pose. He gave Gambit’s bottom a quick lick. “Thori guard your butt.”

Gambit’s brow furrowed. “…Did ya jus’ lick my…”

Thori coughed. “Thori won’t do that again.”

Gambit admitted that Thori guarding him did make him feel safe. He was so exhausted from everything. He just wanted to go to sleep. He placed a deck of cards next to him on the bed and settled back on his pillow, reinserting the thumb in his mouth.

About seven minutes later, Thori jumped to his feet and growled when the door to the room slowly opened. His hackles stood on end and flames flickered around his mouth.

“It’s me, Thori,” said No Eyes Loki. He stepped in while carrying a tray in his hands.

“Prove it!” Thori growled.

“Thori, look at me. I don’t have eyes.”

“Lokis are shapeshifters.”

No Eyes Loki sighed. “Good point.”

Thori jumped down and sniffed No Eyes Loki’s feet and legs, walking a complete circle around him. Finally, he announced, “You’re not President.” He returned to the bed, curled up next to Gambit’s bottom, and put his head on his thigh.

“Surprised you don’t want to warm my posterior.”

Thori lifted his head. “Not today. Busy guarding Baby Cajun’s butt.”

“Why do you call him that?”

Thori glanced over at Gambit, who, by this time, was fast asleep with thumb in mouth. He turned back to No Eyes Loki. “No reason. Just feel like it. I can call you Stupid Dipwad if I want.”

No Eyes Loki shook his head and walked to the side of the bed. He put his tray on the night table.

“I sense he’s asleep.”

“Yes, he is.”

“I’m going to clean his wounds. Will you allow me to do that?”

“Sure.”

No Eyes Loki leaned over Gambit’s sleeping form to get the feel of his patient. His magic gave him extra senses, but he still had to touch and feel certain things to get an idea of their exact appearance. He put a hand on Gambit’s arm, slowly trailing his fingers up to feel his hand near his face…and the thumb in the Cajun’s mouth. No Eyes Loki’s hand grew still and he, ever so slowly, examined the placement of Gambit’s hand with his fingertips. A warm smile curved his mouth, but he didn’t say anything. Although, Thori’s choice of nickname for him now made sense. He lifted his hand and ran it over Gambit’s floppy hair and smoothed it. Next, he felt the cowl around Gambit’s head and ran his hand down his body until he got to his backside.

“Okay, Thori, I’m going to try to do this as carefully as I can so I won’t wake him.” He felt Gambit’s backside. “The child version of me chose not to come, so you will have to be my eyes. Can you describe the wounds to me, please?”

“It’s red, swollen, and bruised,” Thori remarked.

“I imagine so. Anything else? Blade said something about bleeding.”

“Yes. Lots of gashes and cuts that are bleeding. All up and down his cheeks.” Thori whimpered.

No Eyes Loki reached over, picked up a wet cloth from his tray, and began wiping away the blood. After a few minutes of this, he asked, “Am I cleaning it good enough?”

“Yes.” Thori pawed No Eyes Loki’s arm. “But go down. Still some blood down under.”

No Eyes Loki did as Thori instructed, making sure to wipe the Cajun’s entire backside, taking care to brush over the cuts as softly as if he were wiping a baby’s bottom.

“Some of these gashes feel deep.”

“I kill President.”

“Please don’t talk that way.” No Eyes Loki put the cloth back on the tray and picked up a dry one and a bottle of alcohol. “I don’t approve of what he’s done, but I don’t condone killing him, either.”

“Hmmph. Your opinion. Not Thori’s.” The Hel-Hound moved away and jumped off the bed to watch from the other side of the room while No Eyes Loki dabbed the alcohol on the gashes and cuts.

Gambit flinched in his sleep and moaned.

No Eyes Loki put a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, friend. It’s all right. I’m just cleaning you up a little and applying some disinfectant. I know it feels uncomfortable.”

Gambit again jerked and winced. “Ow! Dat stings.”

“I know, I know.” No Eyes Loki kept a hand on Gambit’s shoulder while he finished up, giving it a squeeze. “But you don’t want it getting infected.”

Gambit let out the breath he’d been holding when No Eyes Loki finished, his head falling back against the pillow.

No Eyes Loki replaced the cap on the bottle of alcohol and pulled Gambit’s underwear back in place, careful not to irritate his wounds. He reached and pulled a blanket over him.

“There.”

“T’ank ya,” Gambit whispered.

“Here…” No Eyes Loki reached and picked up a glass of water and held it to Gambit’s mouth. “The child Loki told me you wanted some water.”

Gambit drank down the whole glass and fell back on his pillow. “T’anks.”

“Would you like for me to cast a healing spell on you?” No Eyes Loki asked in concern.

It was tempting, but Gambit wasn’t comfortable with the thought of magic playing a part in his recovery.

“Non, dat okay. Ah’ll heal. Ah got a healin’ factor connected to my energy.”

“Are you sure? I can use a mild one just for a pain reliever so you can at least get some rest.”

Gambit shook his head. “Non. Never needed no magic ta heal myself ‘fore now. Don’ need none now. My healin’ factor will do de work. Ah… Ow!! Owwwwwww!” He winced after he moved the wrong way. He gasped and turned a sheepish look up to the blind trickster. “Well…maybe ya can jus’ numb de pain a lil’.”

Smiling, No Eyes Loki put his hand on Gambit’s backside, his hand glowing green. Instantly the pain subsided.

Gambit sighed with relief. He moved his bottom cautiously. “Dat feels better. T’anks.”

“You’re welcome.” Unknown to Gambit, No Eyes Loki sealed the cuts and took away the swelling along with numbing the pain, giving his bottom a head start in healing.

A small knock sounded at the door and made everyone turn.

“Is he okay now?” Child Loki asked as he stepped into the room.

“As well as can be expected,” No Eyes Loki answered. “He’s pretty beat up, but I think he’ll pull through.”

“My pride is a different story, mon ami,” Gambit mumbled, his cheeks flushing red.

Thori walked over to stand at Child Loki’s feet. “Thori guard Baby Cajun tonight. Keep him safe from nasty President.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Where he end up?” Gambit asked. “De President, ah mean.”

Thori snickered.

“Uhh, he’s around,” Child Loki replied. “Sulking somewhere outside, I think. Blade went out looking for him.”

“Probably sitting in the nearest bucket of water,” Thori murmured.

Gambit looked over his shoulder, a lopsided smile on his face. “Need ah ask why?”

“I used more heat on him.” Thori wagged his tail, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. “A lot more. Burned his retreating butt good.”

Child Loki giggled.

“Ah shoulda known.” Gambit chuckled. “He deserved it.”

No Eyes Loki smiled amusingly. Then he turned to the Cajun and put a gentle hand on his arm. “Are you going to be all right?”

Gambit nodded. “Ya, ah t’ink so. T’ank ya.”

“I meant emotionally.”

Gambit’s mouth worked. He shrugged.

“Get some rest. I’ll come by later to check on you. If you need to talk, I’m here to listen.”

Gambit nodded.

When No Eyes Loki left, Child Loki walked forward and crawled up to sit on the edge of the bed. Thori joined him, settling into place between Gambit’s legs again, curling up right next to his bottom.

Child Loki laughed. “Thori, what are you doing?”

“Guarding.”

“Haven’t ya heard? He ma butt guardian,” said Gambit with a smile.

“Everyone who comes in here has to be inspected by me. Thori’s way of protecting Baby Cajun’s butt from President.”

“Baby Cajun?”

Gambit’s cheeks flushed red.

“I just feel like calling him that. Want to make something of it?”

“No. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Child Loki turned to the Cajun. “Why didn’t you fight back?” he asked curiously. “You should have used your powers—thrown your exploding cards at him.”

Gambit shrugged. “Ah don’ wanna fight him. We a clan. Ah don’ wanna fight someone dat’s supposed ta be an ally. But ah will if ah have ta.”

“I feel like this was a have to kinda moment. I would have blasted him good, never mind that he’s me.”

“Yah, well…” Gambit was hesitant to tell the child that President Loki had overpowered him easily. “Next time he come at me, he in for a world of surprise…and pain.”

“Do you feel like returning to the store?”

Gambit shifted and winced. “Non. ‘Fraid not, mon ami. Sorry. Maybe another day. Ah t’ink ah jus’ gonna lie here for a while an’ rest.”

“You want to play a game? I’ve got lots of them.”

“Maybe later. Ah jus’ wanna sleep a little while first.”

“Okay. I’ll come back later, then.” Child Loki jumped off the bed, patted Gambit’s arm, and left.

Chapter Text

A couple of hours later, Child Loki returned to Gambit’s room. He pushed open the door slowly while balancing a plate of sandwiches and a board game in his small hands.

“Wait!” Thori called out.

Child Loki stopped just outside the door, his hand resting on the knob. “What is it?”

“Who are you?”

“The child Loki, Thori.”

“You can’t come in yet.”

“Why not?”

“Just can’t.” Thori bounced over and stopped in front of Gambit. He nudged the Cajun’s hand with his nose, trying to pry the thumb out of his mouth. He was about to succeed, but Gambit pushed him away in his sleep.

“Mmmmmph,” he mumbled, his brow furrowing. He turned his face into the pillow and pushed the thumb tighter in his mouth.

“Ruff!” Thori said indignantly. “Don’t say Thori didn’t help keep secret.”

“Thori, what’s going on?” Child Loki whined as he walked in. “I’m having a hard time holding this stuff.”

“Stop!” Thori said as he spun around and fixed the child with his eyes.

Child Loki stopped a few feet into the room, exasperation showing on his face.

The pup jumped off the bed. “You must pass inspection.”

“Thori, it’s me.”

“You might be President shapeshifted.” Thori circled Child Loki, smelling him all over. “Okay, you’re not President.” He returned to his spot next to Gambit’s backside.

“How do you know? We’re all the same person.”

“Same person but different smells—different universes. Don’t ask Thori to explain. I know President when I smell him.”

Child Loki shook his head and adjusted the board game tucked under his arm as he approached the bedside. He put the plate of sandwiches on the night table.

“Baby Cajun still asleep.”

Child Loki stopped when he saw the thumb in Gambit’s mouth. He lifted a hand to hide his smile and looked over at Thori.

“Don’t you say anything,” the pup warned. “It’s secret.”

“You already know I do it too,” Child Loki whispered.

“And I haven’t told anyone.” Thori licked Gambit’s leg. “Just like Thori won’t tell anyone about Baby Cajun’s secret.”

Child Loki patted Gambit’s hand and put his game on the side of the bed. He walked across the room to where the chair was and gathered Gambit’s coat into his arms. “Odin’s beard, this is heavy.” It started sliding out of his hands and he had to adjust it. A few cards slipped out of the pockets and fluttered to the floor to join the scattered ones Gambit had dropped earlier. A tempad also slipped out and made a heavy thud at the small trickster’s feet. Child Loki looked down as he put the coat on the floor. He picked up the device and turned it over in his hands curiously.

“What’s this?” he held it up for Thori to see.

“How should I know? Looks like chew toy.”

Child Loki opened it and ran a finger over the buttons. “Seems like I’ve seen something like this before…a long time ago…”

“Mmm…” Gambit groaned in his sleep and moved.

Child Loki closed the tempad and put it back in the coat’s pocket. He grabbed the chair, scooted it to the side of the bed, and climbed up on it.

Gambit cracked open his eyes.

“Want to play a game now? I even brought us some lunch. I’m sure you must be hungry.”

With his eyes still bleary, Gambit struggled to focus on the child inches from his face. It took him a few seconds to realize he still had his thumb in his mouth, and he took it out quickly.

“Ah…er…”

Child Loki smiled at him.

Gambit’s cheeks flushed pink. “Ya ain’t supposed ta see dat…”

“Why? I do it, too. No shame in it.”

“But you a child. It expected. Most people t’ink it weird seein’ adults do it.”

Child Loki shrugged. “I’m not gonna make fun of you.”

Gambit studied the trickster before lowering his gaze to the bed. “Jus’ don’ tell no one.”

“Are you feeling better?”

Gambit moved his rear. It was sore and stiff, but it felt better since No Eyes Loki used his magic, and his healing factor was starting to take effect. “A lil’. Still really sore.”

Child Loki picked up his game. “Want to play checkers?” He reached out and pulled the plate of sandwiches closer to him. “And eat lunch? Tomato sandwiches!”

Gambit stared at the plate, his eyebrows lifting. “Where ya get de bread an’ tomatas?”

“From the store we went to. I told you it landed last week. When a store newly drops, it means we have food like this for a while. So enjoy it while it lasts. Never know when the next store will drop.” He put the plate on the bed between them and pulled out another plate from underneath for Thori.

“Y’all into southern dishes? Or ya jus’ make dis for my sake?”

“We just make sandwiches out of whatever we can find. I didn’t know it was a southern dish.”

“Usually, we use mayo an’ maybe salt an’ pepper—sometimes oregano. It jus’ depend on which part of de south ya from.”

“That’s interesting. What other foods come from the south?”

“Well, dat depends. De south, it a big part of de country an’ each part is different. Dere’s fried chicken, fried okra, fried green tomatas, hush puppies, an’ fried catfish. We do a lot of fryin’ in de south. We also have t’ings like deviled eggs, giblet gravy, potlikker, an’ pecan pie. An’ dat’s jus’ namin’ a few.”

Thori whined and licked his mouth.

“Do you have pizza? Blade’s mentioned that.”

“We got pizza, yah, but it ain’t southern. Dat’s Italian.”

“Is that anywhere near the south?”

Gambit snickered. “Nah, it ain’t even de same country.”

“Oh.”

“From de part of de south where ah come from, now, we have gumbo, jambalaya, po’boys, red beans an’ rice, crawfish boils, beignets, bread puddin’, and muffaletta. An’ dat ain’t half it, neither. If ya want some good eatin’, dat’s where ya wanna go. An’ have ya ever had King Cake?”

Child Loki shook his head.

“We have dat where ah come from too. Ya eat it durin’ Mardi Gras. Dere are all sorts of flavors, but de traditional cake has cinnamon an’ sugar fillin’. Dere’s icin’ an’ colored sugar on top an’ it has a lil’ baby inside.”

“Thori love cake with baby inside!”

Gambit frowned. “Don’ be disturbin’. It not a real baby. It plastic.”

“What’s use eating cake with baby if it’s not real baby?”

Gambit stared at the hound. “Ya scare me.” He turned back to Child Loki. “Like ah was sayin’. It have plastic baby inside. Whoever gets de piece wit’ de baby, dey win a prize or dey host de next party. Sometimes it means good luck. Ah guess it jus’ depends on how ya wanna approach it. But de cake is delicious. De next time a new store drops an’ we have milk an’ eggs for a short time, ah make y’all one.”

Child Loki’s eyes widened. “You can cook?”

“Sure ah can cook.”

“Thori want baby. Fried chicken and baby.”

Gambit sighed sadly. “It gonna be hard not bein’ able ta eat dis kinda food whenever ah want. De eyeless Loki right. Dis purgatory.”

“It’s actually not so bad once you get used to it.”

Gambit wasn’t sure he agreed with that, but he decided to keep those thoughts to himself. He smiled at the child instead—a forced, sad smile. How could the small trickster even begin to understand how it felt being ripped from New Orleans and Earth? Then he had to remind himself that Child Loki, too, had been ripped from his home—wherever that was. Everyone living in the church had been ripped from their respective realities just as he had been. He wasn’t alone. Everyone had probably felt the way he was feeling at one time until they got used to living in this place.

“What’s Mardi Gras?” Child Loki asked, breaking Gambit’s thoughts.

“It a holiday we celebrate in N’awlins. Ah t’ink you’d love it.”

Child Loki put a sandwich on Thori’s plate, and for the next several minutes, all three enjoyed their luxury food while Gambit told both of them about Mardi Gras. Thori made quick work of his, practically inhaling it, and licked the plate clean afterward. When they finished, Child Loki set up the checkerboard.

“We have a lot of board games, so I wasn’t sure which one you’d like to play,” Child Loki was saying as he set out the game pieces on the squares. “I thought checkers sounded good.”

“Dat fine wit’ me.” Gambit moved into a more comfortable position on his side. “Sooo…wha’ happened to de President?”

Child Loki took the first move. Gambit could tell he was stifling a giggle. “Blade found him.”

Gambit made his move and looked at the child expectantly, lifting an eyebrow. “An’?”

The corner of the trickster’s mouth curved up in a half smile. “Let’s just say both of you are sore in the same place now.”

Gambit stared. “Ya mean…”

Child Loki nodded. “Blade spanked him…good.”

Thori barked happily and wagged his tail.

Gambit smiled widely as he leaned forward and concentrated on the game. They talked and played checkers for an hour and then it came time for Gambit to stretch and move into a new position.

“Sorry, ah ain’t feelin’ comfortable no more.”

“That’s okay.”

“Wanna play a card game now?” Gambit asked as he moved around to lie on his stomach again.

“Sure.”

“Ya know how ta play poker? Ah mean, witout de gamblin’. Not like we need money in dis place.”

“No, but Thori does.”

Gambit looked at the Hel-Hound in surprise.

Thori smiled and wagged his tail.

“But you can teach me!”

“Okay. Run over dere an’ grab me some of dem poker chips ah found.” Gambit pointed across the room to his supplies. “Dey in dat small box over dere.”

Later that evening, when The Void’s equivalent of twilight was on the horizon and the pitch black of night was coming in fast, No Eyes Loki returned to Gambit’s bedroom. A growl greeted him after he knocked on the door.

“It’s me again, Thori,” he said softly as he entered the room. “The eyeless Loki.” He stood at the door while he went through Thori’s inspection once more.

“Not President,” the pup announced after circling him. He returned to his place on the bed beside Gambit, where they were deep in a poker game. Cards and chips were spread out between them along with an assortment of miscellaneous oddities they each, apparently, won.

“Hey, friend,” said No Eyes Loki as he approached. “I brought you some dinner. It’s not much, but you’re welcome to it.” He set his bent tray on the night table. “I warmed up some soup.”

Gambit nodded, not taking his attention off the game. “Sounds good. T’anks.” To Thori he said, “Ah’ll raise ya fifty.”

“Poker?” said No Eyes Loki after hearing the clack of chips.

“Ah’ve won three chew bones so far,” Gambit announced.

“Beginner’s luck,” Thori snorted.

“Hey! Ah been playin’ poker longer dan you have.”

“Thori doubt that.”

“You won…chew bones?” No Eyes Loki’s voice told he was confused.

Gambit chuckled. “Jus’ for de game. Ah told Thori he can have ‘em back.”

“You can use one instead of your thumb.”

Gambit scowled, bumped Thori with his knee, and mouthed, “Hush up!”

“How are you feeling?” No Eyes Loki asked.

“Ah’m feelin’ as well as can be expected. Ah t’ink my healin’ factor beginnin’ ta kick in. An’ of course, ya help.”

No Eyes Loki smiled. “That’s good to hear.”

Thori added a few chips to the pile.

Gambit waved toward the chair. “Migh’ as well hava seat.”

No Eyes Loki sat down. “And how are you feeling…emotionally?”

Gambit fingered his cards. “Ah’m fine.”

No Eyes Loki inclined his head. “I might be a redeemed Loki, but I can still sense when someone’s lying.”

Gambit spread the cards in his hand, his mouth working.

“I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. I have no intention of pressing you. These things take time, after all.” No Eyes Loki stood up and was about to leave.

“Wait.”

No Eyes Loki turned around.

Gambit gestured to the chair again. “Please, sit.”

No Eyes Loki seated himself again and waited.

Gambit took a deep breath. “Ah’m ready ta talk—will be glad ta get it out in de open. Ah jus’…don’ know how ta begin.”

“Take your time.”

“De incident, it brought back unpleasant memories, yah.” Gambit fell silent, and a few minutes passed with No Eyes Loki remaining silent as well. Gambit and Thori took a few turns throwing in more chips—more or less just going through the motions at this point. Finally, Gambit continued, “Ah was tortured by a man—a geneticist—called Sinister durin’ a dark part of my life.” Gambit swallowed as he rolled a few chips between his fingers. “He restrained me an’ did horrible t’ings ta me. Sometimes ah can still feel de pain. It haunts me at nights when ah get ta thinkin’ ‘bout it.”

Thori and No Eyes Loki both listened in silence.

“De second de President restrained me where ah couldn’t move…it…it triggered memories of when ah was strapped down by Sinister. Ah had ta endure de pain he did ta me an’ couldn’t move.” Gambit wiped tears from his face. “Same as wha’ de President did ta me. Ah panicked.”

No Eyes Loki put a hand on the Cajun’s shoulder. “You don’t have to say anymore.”

Gambit nodded. “Ah hate hospitals an’ labs an’ such. It all bring back bad memories.” He looked at the blind Loki. “Ya were right. Ah have lot of regrets ah been suppressin’. Maybe dat why ah wanted ta join de X-Men—a way ta find redemption. No way of knowin’ now.”

“Perhaps life had something different in mind. You’re part of this team now.”

“Ah guess de TVA, dey take me outta de timeline ‘cause ah wasn’t meant ta find redemption—same as Lokis.”

No Eyes Loki patted his shoulder. “You will,” he whispered. “You just have to be patient.”

Gambit nodded and sniffled.

“Thori find Sinister and murder him.”

“Ah like ta see ya try, yah. He do to you wha’ he did ta me.” Gambit sighed. “De President, he had no way of knowin’, tho.”

“True, but he shouldn’t have done what he did. I’m deeply sorry it happened.”

“It not your fault.”

“I know, but he’s still a variant of me, and because of that I feel somewhat responsible for him spanking you.”

Gambit shook his head. “Dis not a spankin’. It not what Mobius would have done.”

No Eyes Loki tilted his head curiously.

“Ah mean…” Gambit grimaced at what he’d said. “Maudit!”

“Not a secret anymore,” said Thori, chuckling.

“Don’t worry,” No Eyes Loki said in a low voice. “I won’t tell the others.”

“De President already knows. He overheard me tellin’ Thori dis mornin’.”

“I won’t tell Blade and the child me.” He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned forward. “You were spanked at the TVA, weren’t you?”

Gambit glanced at the eyeless face across from him, his legs moved restlessly.

“I sorta figured it out from your reaction when you spanked the President.”

Gambit remained silent for a few minutes and then heaved a big sigh. “Ouais. Mobius, he spanked me a couple times. He spanked me de right way, ah mean. ‘Cause ah tried escapin’. He was harsh but carin’. He careful not ta hurt me in a way dat left real damage. Ah only meant for Thori ta know dat lil’ secret until de President went snoopin’ ‘round my door.”

No Eyes Loki’s mouth curved into a gentle smile.

“It hurt. Woo, I’mma tellin’ ya.” Gambit ran his hand down his hip. “Ya ever had a switch taken to ya rear?”

Thori snickered.

“But it not de same as wha’ de President did.” He put a hand on his rear and winced. “Dis abusive.”

“I know. I used the wrong word. I should have said my brother beat you.” No Eyes Loki sighed. “Either way, I should have been better alert to his scheming. I guess because of my redemption; I’ve lost touch with the old side of myself. Maybe I’ve been living in this church for too long.”

“Don’ blame yourself an’ beat yaself up.” Gambit laid down his cards. “Maybe it was me. Maybe ah shouldn’t have spanked him like ah done.”

“No, you did a good thing. If he gives you any more trouble, I encourage you to do it again. Don’t be afraid of him. If he ever approaches you again like he did today, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. He needs to learn that revenge isn’t the answer. Even families have skirmishes sometimes. I should know. I’m a Loki with the same father and brother as the others.”

“True. Even though ah’ve never had anythin’ in de way of a real family, ah can still relate. De thieves’ guild had dere share of skirmishes so ah already been tru enough of it. It part of de reason why ah tryin’ not ta fight de President. Growin’ up dat way, ya get sick of it fast. Ah jus’ thought ah could approach it different dis time—avoid it maybe.”

“Sometimes it can’t be avoided. Sometimes you have to go through war before you have peace.” No Eyes Loki put a hand on the Cajun’s shoulder again. “Don’t be afraid to spank the President if he ever needs it again, and don’t be afraid to defend yourself. As I said, he needs humbling.”

Gambit nodded. “T’anks.”

No Eyes Loki stood. “Everyone’s gathered in the living room. The child version of me is going to pop some corn he found yesterday. If you feel up to joining us after you eat your dinner, we’d enjoy having your company.”

Gambit slowly looked up at Loki. “Is de President dere?”

No Eyes Loki hesitated. “Yes, he is. He won’t be any trouble; I can assure you. Blade is keeping a close eye on him.”

Gambit picked up his cards. “Yah, sure. Ah migh’ show up.”

“Just so you know, Blade spanked the President this afternoon. I don’t think he’ll cause any more trouble for a while.”

A satisfied smirk curved the Cajun’s mouth. “De child Loki told me.” He glanced up at the Loki. “Ah’m surprised he show up at all.”

No Eyes Loki chuckled. “He hasn’t said much, but he did eat dinner with us.”

When No Eyes Loki left, Gambit got off the bed, albeit painfully. The real pain came, however, when he pulled his pants back in place.

“Woo! Mercy.” He put his hands behind him and rubbed his rear, his eyes glancing at the night table. He wasn’t hungry, but he knew he had to eat something. He found the apple he’d stashed away in his coat and ate it along with the soup and crackers the blind Loki left for him. It felt comforting, and the thought of popcorn afterward was starting to appeal to him even if it meant seeing President Loki again. A part of him shuddered at the thought of being around the trickster, but he knew he couldn’t hide in his room forever. Since Blade was keeping a watch on him, maybe the evening wouldn’t be as bad as he imagined.

“You joining the others?” Thori asked. The pup was lying on the bed beside the pile of discarded pieces of their game.

Gambit handed a cracker to the hound, which Thori wolfed down in one gulp. “Dunno. Ah imagine de air will be tense in dere.”

“Thori go with you and protect you.”

Gambit smiled and ruffled the pup’s head. Thori rolled over and let the Cajun skritch his belly.

With Thori at his side, the pup’s flaming mouth lighting the way, Gambit limped down the hallway. He made a quick stop at the bathroom before coming out into the living room. The smell of popcorn hit him in the face immediately, reminding him of the rare instances he was able to go to the theater.

Miscellaneous lamps were scattered all over, giving off a warm glow that made the ratty, makeshift room actually feel cozy.

President Loki sat in a green recliner next to the pool table, the floor lamp beside him making his horned crown shimmer. His head was resting on one hand with a sullen expression on his face. Gambit smiled briefly when he saw the trickster was sitting on several big, plump pillows.

Blade stood by the front doorway, looking out into the darkness outside. Despite it being night, the half-vampire still wore his sunglasses. No Eyes Loki was helping Child Loki cook the popcorn behind the bar counter.

“I can’t get this infernal machine to work now!” Child Loki uttered as he slammed the microwave door. The oven was positioned on a shelf over the tub sink. The little trickster was standing on a chair in order to reach it. After pushing all the buttons out of frustration, he brought his little fist down on the keypad with a heavy thump. “I should have picked up another one from the store while we were there.”

“You can do that tomorrow,” No Eyes Loki said calmly. “In the meantime, let’s see what we can do with this one.”

“Here, ah help,” said Gambit as he approached the counter. He picked up a package of popcorn. His hand glowed pink and charged the bag enough to pop the corn inside, the bag ballooning up in the palm of his hand.

“Oh wow!” Child Loki breathed.

“It not jus’ for makin’ t’ings go boom.” Gambit grinned. He popped enough bags for everyone plus a few extra in case someone wanted seconds. He dropped a bag on the floor for Thori, who tore into it aggressively and sent popcorn flying all over the area like snow. Then he took one for himself and picked up two more. He walked over to President Loki and handed one to him. The room grew silent as both men locked eyes.

Gambit gave the bag a little shake. “Ya want it or not?”

President Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust and pulled away. “I’m not going to eat that.”

“Why? Ya don’ like popcorn?”

“You popped it using your power.”

“So?” Gambit frowned. “Wha’ dat gotta do wit’ it? Ah washed my hands ‘fore ah come out here, if dat’s what ya worried ‘bout.”

“You’re one of those radioactive freaks, aren’t you? Like the Hulk? You’re not going to pass on your radiation to me!”

Gambit’s mouth tightened as he struggled to keep his temper in check. It was all he could do to keep himself from charging the bag of popcorn to explode in President Loki’s face.

“You want me to come over there and whoop his bum again?” Blade asked.

For the briefest second, fear washed over President Loki’s face, and then he turned a scowl back to the Cajun.

Gambit, without taking his eyes off President Loki, held up his hand. “Non. Dat’s okay.”

A dark smirk played across President Loki’s lips.

“For ya information, ah’m not radioactive. I’mma mutant—jus’ a human bein’ wit’ powers. Ma power comes from my genes, not radiation. It ain’t catchin’ like a disease.” He shook the bag of popcorn. “Ma power ain’t no different from your magic.”

“Whatever,” President Loki grumbled and turned away.

Gambit continued, “Every fiber of my bein’, ‘specially de backside of me, screamin’ ta hate you righ’ now, but ah’m not goin’ to.”

President Loki turned his eyes to him again.

“We all in dis mess together, an’ we all gotta learn ta live together. Ya ain’t de only one goin’ through t’ings.” He glanced at No Eyes Loki. “If ya ever need ta talk an’ get t’ings off ya chest, ah’m here ta listen—all of us are. Dere’s no need ta act nasty to us.”

President Loki held his gaze.

“Ah forgive ya for wha’ ya did ta me earlier ‘cause dat’s all ah can do. An’ dat ain’t an easy t’ing ta do, believe me. But know dis. If ya ever come at me again, ah won’t be so easy or forgivin’. Consider it a warnin’.” Gambit dropped the bag of popcorn in President Loki’s lap. “Watch dat de butter don’ soil dat pretty suit.”

President Loki kept quiet as he watched Gambit walk over to join Blade. He gave the mutant a dangerous scowl, which melted into a look of longing and sadness that was lost on the others as they gathered their popcorn and found their seats. Child Loki was in the process of setting up a board game on the coffee table.

Sighing, President Loki opened his bag of popcorn.

Blade nodded his approval when Gambit joined his side. “You did good,” he whispered. “How you doing?”

“Ah’m doin’ okay. Sore an’ stiff. Don’ ‘specially feel like sittin’.” Gambit handed a bag of popcorn to Blade, who took it without much thought. The half-vampire still had his eyes trained on the open fields across from them.

Strange howling and wailing noises met their ears.

“Wha’ all dat noise?” Gambit asked as he put a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth. “Ah keep hearin’ it at nights.”

Blade shook his head. “Dunno. It makes me restless, though. Common night noises here in The Void. The reason I said I prefer everyone in this clan to be indoors by nightfall. We haven’t figured out what’s out there during the night hours.”

“Whatever it is would hafta be able ta survive Alioth.”

“That’s what worries me.” Blade ran a finger across his lips. “The TVA dumps everything in this place. Not just from Earth but also from other realms and worlds. No telling what’s out there roaming around. Strange noises aren’t even half of it. We’ve seen a lot of things from here. Fires burning in the distance for no logical reason. Weird lights.” He pointed to the left. “Once, we saw a colossal shape slowly walking across the hills over there. Looked like a rock creature of some kind, like something from mythology. It’s enough to send chills down a person.”

“Fifolet…” Gambit whispered. He cleared his throat. “Sounds like de nightlife is lively in de Void,” he said louder with a laugh.

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Where ya get your electricity in dis place?”

“Solar panels mostly,” Blade answered.

“And a lot of magic,” No Eyes Loki added.

Blade continued, “We found a bunch of solar panels and attached them to the roof and some out back of the building. We’ve also got some generators for backup in case we ever need to fall back on them.”

“Wouldn’t dey be one-time use? Unless ya can find gas.”

Blade nodded. “Gas isn’t too hard to find if you know how to siphon it out of old cars around here. Plenty of gas stations, too, if they survived the landing without blowing up or spilling the petrol. It can be dangerous to keep around, so we only keep what’s necessary at a time for emergencies.”

President Loki stood up. “Looks like we’ve got a new source of power now, right, mongrel? If we need backup, we can just use the mutant manbaby as a power source.”

Thori growled.

Blade whipped out a knife and turned around. “Sit your butt down!”

President Loki dropped back into his chair, uttering a cry of pain when his rear hit the seat. He hissed and slid his hands under him.

“Serves you right!” said Thori.

President Loki glared at the dog and then turned his eyes back to Blade.

“You got a lot of guts talking like that after what you did today,” said Blade.

President Loki remained silent and poked a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth.

Gambit couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him. He looked at Blade. “So…uh…dere any women in dis place?”

Blade grinned. “Yeah, we got women here. Not sure what kind you’re looking for, but there are women here. Human and non-human.”

“Any kind okay wit’ me as long as dey pretty.”

Still grinning, Blade turned his attention back to the outside.

Another howling screech pierced the air, echoing over the hilly fields. It made the hair on the back of Gambit’s neck stand on end under his cowl.

“De noises, dey sound louder tonight. Hope ah can sleep.”

“It takes some getting used to. The good part is it’s not every night. Everything is unusually restless this week. It’s almost like someone’s out there stirring them up. On nights like this, I stay in here and keep watch.”

“Does the manbaby need a nightlight in his room?” President Loki jeered.

“Shut up!” Thori snarled. “Or I burn your butt again!”

“Not if I spank it first,” Blade added over his shoulder.

President Loki shifted in his chair and turned his eyes back to his bag of popcorn.

“Someone woke up on de wrong side of bed dis mornin’,” Gambit mumbled.

“He wakes up on the wrong side every morning,” Blade murmured in reply.

“Well, ya know how to handle it now. Jus’ wup his bum.”

Blade’s grin returned. “I need to look for a paddle.”

“Silver bullets for werewolves, wooden stakes for vampires, an’ paddles for bratty gods.”

Blade laughed.

President Loki scowled in their direction. “What are you lowlifes saying about me?”

“Non your business.” To Blade, Gambit said, “Ya need me ta help keep watch?”

“Nah. You go ahead and rest. You’ve been through enough. And thanks for the popcorn.” He held up his bag and patted Gambit on the shoulder.

Gambit walked to the couch and gingerly sat down. He leaned over the side and positioned himself to sit mostly on his hip. Child Loki sat on the opposite side while Thori jumped up to sit between them, still chewing popcorn. He growled in President Loki’s direction then turned and breathed a warm vapor on Gambit’s bottom. The Cajun stopped him, however, and shook his head.

“Not here,” he whispered. He glanced at the others, but no one had noticed. “Only in private.”

“As you wish,” said Thori.

The rest of the evening went by without any more upsets and quite a few good conversations as the group snacked on popcorn and played board games. Everyone, that is, except for President Loki, who continued to sulk and watch the others from his recliner. Gambit tried to be as hospitable as he could, but his rear was paining him something fierce the longer he sat on the couch. He was only too glad when the group decided to call it a night and head to bed. Blade stayed behind to keep watch as he said.

After brushing his teeth and using the bathroom, the Cajun changed into some pajamas he’d found at the Roxxcart store, leaving his cowl in place. He’d thought about sleeping in his armored suit again, but his rear said otherwise.

“Dis feel better on ma bottom,” he said as he gave his rear a brisk rub.

“But you look ridiculous with your cowl on,” said Thori.

Gambit waved him off. He was too tired to argue with the mutt. He plopped down on the bed, positioned himself on his stomach, and snuggled under the covers not ever wanting to come out.

He pulled the round orange pillow next to his face. “It was actually a fun night, but ah’m glad ta be back in bed,” he said with a yawn. He fluffed up the pillow under his head and sank into it, his eyes beginning to droop.

“Need warm butt?” Thori asked.

Gambit swallowed and his mouth tightened. “My butt’s been tru enough today.”

“Thori be very gentle. Like heating pad.” The dog licked his face and ear.

“Ah don’ need warmth. Ah need ice.”

“Thori can’t make ice. One thing Thori can’t do.” Thori wagged his tail. “So, what about it?”

Gambit thought a moment. “Maybe a little…” He got out of bed and pulled on his suit pants.

“Why you doing that?”

“Ain’t it obvious?”

“Thori could do it just fine with your jammies.”

“Oh non! Non, non!” Gambit shook his head. “You gon’ do it right here where it fireproof.” He laid down in bed again.

Thori chuckled as he positioned himself between the Cajun’s legs. “You still don’t trust me?”

Gambit shook his head. “Non, ah don’.” He looked over his shoulder. “Ah mean, ah trust ya wit’ some t’ings, mais not dis. Ah still get de feelin’ you’d like ta roast me jus’ ta see my reaction.”

Thori laughed. “I told you I won’t hurt you. Thori like you. Besides, I wouldn’t hurt you now while you’re wounded. Thori not mean.”

“Jus’ de same.”

Without another word, Thori settled down and breathed out just enough warm flame to soothe the Cajun’s soreness.

Chapter Text

Sometime during the night, Gambit woke up with a start. Or was it morning? He couldn’t tell since there were no clocks and no time. All he knew was that it was still dark outside either way. At first, he wasn’t sure what had awakened him—his mind was still fuzzy from sleep. He lifted himself on his elbow and turned slightly to listen. Maybe it had been a dream? Was it the weird night noises? No, it was something else.

Thori was still nestled snugly between his legs, growling under his breath. The room was dimly lit by the glow of his mouth.

Gambit moved to a sitting position, resting on his hip. He could hear it clearly now. There were sounds of a scuffle going on somewhere in the building. A loud, bloodcurdling screech cut through the air, and an impact shook the walls.

“Wha’s goin’ on?” he slurred.

“Intruder. Smells like monster,” Thori replied.

“Someone attackin’ an’ ya didn’t wake me?” Gambit got to his feet despite his rear protesting his every move. He was still wearing pajamas and his suit pants over that along with his cowl.

“I thought you needed to sleep.”

Mumbling something incoherent, Gambit snatched up a deck of cards from the night table and hurried into the hallway. Thori caught up to him and ran ahead, snarling and barking frantically once he reached the living room. When Gambit entered the room right behind him, it took his mind a full minute to process what was going on.

Blade was at the front door, fighting some kind of huge creature like he’d never seen before. It was gray-blue in color and luminescent—its body faintly glowing eerily like a ghost. The thing’s appearance was ghastly. The first thing that came to the Cajun’s mind was that it looked like a cross between a praying mantis and the Jabberwocky from Alice Through the Looking-Glass. Its gruesome head was like a wrinkled raisin with mostly mouth and rodent teeth atop a long spindly neck. Strands of long, scraggly hair and whiskers hung off it. For whatever reason, it was desperately trying to get inside their house never mind that it could barely fit through the doorway. Blade sliced one of its gangly legs, and it wailed loudly and hit back. The man dodged the blow and swung his sword around for another hit to its leg.

Thori joined the battle immediately. He ran to Blade’s side and spewed flames at the creature while barking, yapping, and snapping at its legs.

“FILTHY NOODLE NECK BEAST! DIE!” Thori bit down on one of the legs hard and held on despite the creature lifting him into the air.

After regaining his senses, Gambit charged a card and flung it toward the creature’s face. It exploded in a burst of bright light, eliciting an even louder scream from the thing. The monster fell back while shaking its head from side to side and flailing its sickle-like forelegs. Gambit threw another card and detonated it in the bug’s face again.

“G’wan, git outta here!” he shouted. He lifted another card to throw but stopped. Blade took the opportunity while the creature was blinded and sliced off one of the legs. An awful, ear-piercing screech filled the men’s ears, and then the thing turned and scurried away over the mounds of debris and disappeared over the fields.

“THAT’S RIGHT, VILE SCUMBAG MONSTER! RUN! TREMBLE BEFORE DEATHRIPPER’S HELLFIRE!” Thori shouted and barked. His body shook so badly from excitement and his tail wagged so hard he almost toppled out the door. “THORI DO YOU A MURDER!”

“Pipe down before you bring Alioth here too,” Blade snapped.

Thori barked a few more times and snorted and then he walked smugly back into the living room like he’d defeated the monster all on his own. “Wretched, fowl beast. Thori murder, murder, murder!”

“Yeah, I bet you’d murder that thing.” Blade shook his head.

“Ya failed ta tell me ‘bout de size of your cockroaches here,” Gambit quipped.

Blade grinned as he sheathed one of his swords and pulled out a cloth to clean the slimy green blood off the other one.

“Wha’ was dat t’ing?”

“Beats me. Some of those unholy things you hear screeching out there.”

“Dis happen often?”

“Not usually. Sometimes we get a random beast who wants to investigate us out of curiosity. I laid as low as I could, hoping it would go away on its own until the bloody thing tried squeezing through the door.”

“Dat t’ing was ate up wit’ ugly.”

“What’s going on?”

Gambit and Blade turned to see the Lokis standing in the doorway by the kitchen. Child Loki yawned while holding a stuffed toy wolf in his arms.

Blade shook his head and gestured to them. “We’re under attack and you bunch just slept right through it. I can’t believe it.”

“We’re under attack? By who? —what?” President Loki stepped forward. “Was it Alioth?”

“No. It was a…” Blade turned to Gambit.

The Cajun shrugged. “Giant bug?”

“A giant bug?”

“A giant bug.” Blade nodded in agreement.

The Lokis exchanged confused glances with each other.

Gambit clapped his hands together. “Y’all in de mood for pancakes?”

“And just where do you think we’re going to get pancakes around here, oaf?” President Loki griped.

“Ah picked up some boxes of pancake mix when we were at de store.”

“But there’s no milk, eggs, or butter,” said President Loki.

“We jus’ gonna hafta improvise.” He waved to Child Loki. “C’mon, you can help Gambit, yah?”

Smiling wide, Child Loki nodded. “Sure!”

“I think we have some powdered milk in our supplies. That might work,” said No Eyes Loki.

“Dere, ya see? Ah’m sure we can find somethin’ ta take de place of de rest.”

The only non-alcoholic liquids the group had were cooking oils, water, soda, and vinegar, so Gambit had to make do with what he had at his disposal. No Eyes Loki found the powdered milk for him. Together, he and Child Loki managed to make enough pancakes for everyone that didn’t taste half bad once they were drowned in syrup.

“That’s the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time,” Blade commented from his chair by the front door. He took a swig of his coffee. “Tasted extra good after fighting off that bug monster.”

No Eyes Loki and Child Loki agreed.

“Tastes like poop, but Thori like it,” said Thori from the floor. He licked the remaining crumbs off his plate.

Gambit frowned. “Oh, ya out dere eatin’ cement blocks an’ ya say my cookin’ tastes like poop.”

Child Loki giggled. “He means it as a compliment.”

“Oh really? Hard ta tell sometimes.”

“It was…acceptable…” said President Loki. He hadn’t eaten much of his. Rather, he spent the whole time sulking and moving the pancakes around on his plate with his fork, sopping up the syrup.

“Where’d you learn to cook like that?” Blade asked.

“Livin’ on de streets as a kid; ya kinda learn t’ings. Sometimes ah had to improvise. Scavengin’ cookbooks from dumpsters helped. Den once ah got ‘dopted by de thieves’ guild, we all took part in makin’ our meals.”

President Loki raised his head. “You’re a thief?”

Smirking, Gambit held up President Loki’s campaign button between two fingers. “Ah was wonderin’ how long it take ‘fore ya realized it was missin’.”

Mouth hanging open, President Loki patted his lapel and looked down at his chest. With a dark glare, he put aside his plate, stood up, stepped forward, and snatched the button from Gambit’s hand. “Give me that!”

“Ya missin’ somethin’ else?”

President Loki pinned the button back on and looked up to see Gambit had his tie clip too. He put a hand on his tie. “How did… Never mind. Just give it to me.” He snatched it back. “Surprised you didn’t take the crown off my brow.”

The group laughed.

“You’re good!” Child Loki praised.

“When did you do that?” President Loki growled.

“Ah took de liberty yesterday when ya were beatin’ me up.” Gambit repositioned himself on the couch, trying to sit mostly on his hip. “But ah was a thief ‘fore ah decided ta join de X-Men…an’ got taken outta de timeline. Guess de TVA thought ah make a better thief dan a hero.”

“The TVA’s opinion means nothing,” said No Eyes Loki. “You be whatever you want to be.”

“The way you helped me fend off that monster convinces me you’d make an excellent hero,” said Blade. “We made a pretty good team.”

Gambit smiled shyly at the praise.

Thori barked. “Thori too! Thori murder monster!”

“I have to admit, even Thori too.”

Gambit stood up. “Ah feel like a walk now dat daylight is showin’.” He waved for President Loki to follow him. “Why don’ ya come wit’ me?”

“And why would I want to do that?”

“No reason. Jus’ thought you’d like ta join me.”

“I’d rather stay here.”

“Ah’d like very much for ya ta join me.”

President Loki eyed him warily. “What for? Are you going to spank me again?”

“Not unless ya give me reason to.” Gambit gestured toward the door with a nod of his head. “Ah jus’ wanna go for a walk.”

President Loki glanced at the others. “I’m still…sore…” he mumbled.

“Dat makes two of us, but ah still gonna go for a walk.”

The trickster picked up his fork. “I’m not finished eating.”

Gambit shrugged. “Dat’s okay. Ah wait. Ah gotta get dressed anyway.” With that, he walked out of the room.

Blade exchanged a glance with Child Loki. He got up to follow the Cajun, Thori trailing along behind him.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Blade said as he stopped in the doorway of Gambit’s room. “I mean, going off somewhere alone with the President.”

Gambit glanced at him over his shoulder. He slipped something inside his coat pocket from his supply shelves. Then he pulled off his pajama top and started getting dressed.

“Ah jus’ gonna take him on a walk an’ have a talk wit’ him. Dat’s all.”

“Thori come with you. Protect you from President,” said the Hel-Hound.

“Non, dat okay. Ah can take care of myself dis once.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to bring him along.”

Gambit shook his head. “Ah jus’ want some time alone wit’ him. No one else.”

“Suit yourself,” said Blade. “Just be careful.”

Gambit nodded.

The vampire hunter walked away and left the Cajun alone to finish putting on his clothes.

“You sure you don’t want Thori to come?”

Gambit glanced down at the pup as he took off his pj pants and put on a pair of boxers. “Non. Ah’ll be fine. Don’ worry.”

“Thori not sure about that but okay.”

“De President, he got issues, yah.”

“That’s an understatement.”

Gambit put his pants back on and reached for his boots. “Ah jus’ gonna have a talk wit’ him an’ try ta get ta know him better.”

“You sure you want to know him better? Thori not entirely sure how his brain works.”

Gambit smiled. “Haven’t decided ‘bout dat one, mais he is part of our clan, an’ ah t’ink we needa clear de air a lil’ if we ever hope ta get along.” He grabbed his coat. “Ah t’ink de President needa go somewhere an’ blow off steam an’ release his anger. Maybe den he won’t take it out on us.”

“Wanna bet?” Thori snorted.

“We’ll see.”

Twenty minutes later found Gambit leading the way over mounds of trash in the direction he’d gone in when Child Loki took him to the Roxxcart. President Loki lagged about ten feet behind him, protesting every step of the way.

Gambit had only one destination in mind: the pyramid he saw in the distance. When they reached the spot where the pyramid came into view, they stopped. It was farther away than he remembered, but he surmised they could cut across the field on foot within an hour or less…maybe. Gambit wasn’t sure his rear would appreciate the journey, but he still wanted to go to the pyramid. He put his hands behind him and rubbed his rear. His healing factor had done a good job healing most of the damage, but the soreness, bruising, and some swelling remained.

“How much longer are we going to walk, pathetic mortal?” President Loki whined.

“We goin’ to dat pyramid.”

“That distance? It’s so far away!”

“De exercise’ll do ya good. It’ll work all de meanness off ya.”

“Speak for yourself, insolent oaf!”

“Watch de name callin’.”

“I haven’t walked this much in my entire life!”

Gambit turned a perplexed look to the trickster. “How ya get ‘round, den?”

“How about I just open a portal for us to walk through? We can be there in a few seconds.”

“Dat would defeat de purpose of goin’ for a walk.”

“But…but…look at the size of that field! We’ll be easy prey if Alioth sees us!”

“If ya stop yappin’ Alioth ain’t gonna know we here.”

President Loki heaved a big sigh. “This is absurd!” He waved his hand toward the pyramid. “Why do you want to go over there anyway? It’s just rubbish like everything else in this place.”

“Did ya jus’ call yaself trash?”

President Loki bristled and then he smiled. “Yes, just like you are.”

“Ah been called worse.” Gambit didn’t say any more than that, even though he wanted to, as he started walking again, heading out into the field, toward the pyramid. He didn’t like President Loki’s attitude, but he was determined to hold back as long as he could. After all, he was on this mission to help bring peace between them not continue the feud. A few minutes into his walk, he heard President Loki’s footsteps coming up behind him.

“It’s just a mound of brick,” the trickster was saying as he approached. “What’s so special about seeing something like that?”

“Ah thought ya were gonna keep quiet so Alioth don’t find us,” said Gambit softly. He kept walking forward. “Actin’ like a dang couillon.”

“What did you call me?” President Loki grabbed Gambit’s arm.

Gambit rolled his eyes. “Ah called ya a fool.”

“I’m not a fool!”

“Den shut ya lips!” Gambit jerked his arm out of Loki’s hand.

When they got halfway across the field, Gambit stopped abruptly and stood poised, his eyes trained on something to their right.

“What’s wrong now?” President Loki grumbled as he walked up to stand behind the Cajun.

“Hush!” Gambit continued to stand still. “Dere somethin’ comin’ toward us.”

“Where?? I don’t see anything.” President Loki looked behind them.

Gambit took hold of President Loki’s chin and turned his head in the direction he was pointing. “Dere!”

“Get your hands off me!” President Loki smacked Gambit’s hand away, but he kept his eyes on the moving grass.

“Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!” Came the shrill cries.

Gambit pulled out a card and charged it. President Loki’s hands lit up green.

All of a sudden, a flock of strange blue scaly bird-like creatures came bounding out of the tall weeds and zigzagged around the men and between their legs. They ran on little stubby, knobby feet. Despite having long necks, they didn’t have any discernable heads. Instead, there was only a purple ball floating over an opening at the end of the neck.

“Mais! Wha’ de heck?”

Gambit and President Loki watched in silence as the birds paid them no notice and ran by while whooping and weeping. One of them ran into Gambit’s leg, scared itself, and ran skittering in another direction from its mates.

“Wha’ are dey?”

“How should I know? I’m not familiar with half the stuff that resides in this infernal place.”

“Ah wonder if dey lay eggs. If so, den we can use dem next time we make pancakes.”

“You and your pancakes. You’re a sissy manbaby for even knowing how to cook.”

“At least ah know how ta survive an’ don’ depend on servants ta cook my food. Ya ain’t no sissy manbaby for knowin’ how ta survive an’ take care of yaself. Besides, ah’m Cajun. Food’s jus’ part of my culture.”

“I know how to survive…” President Loki grumbled.

“Yah?” Gambit doubted that but he kept quiet. He was fairly certain President Loki would starve if left unattended for too long.

After the birds passed by, the two men started walking again. In no time at all, they reached the pyramid. It was massive—larger than it looked from a distance. It was in pretty bad shape too. There were cracks, missing chunks of stone, and crumbling pieces all over it where it had fallen and crash-landed into The Void. The tip on the top was also missing—broken off in the fall.

“Why did you bring me here?” President Loki asked.

Gambit didn’t answer. Instead, he traced his finger along the outer wall like he was drawing with a marker and made a glowing pink-purple trail of energy big enough to walk through. There was a muffled ‘foom’ and the stone slab crumbled into a heap of broken brick and dust, leaving behind a doorway.

“After you.” Gambit gestured.

President Loki hesitated but finally walked forward and peered inside. “I’m not going in there. This place is dark and filthy!”

Gambit rolled his eyes and muttered, “Mais la.” He put his foot on President Loki’s rear and pushed him forward. “Git ya spoiled, pristine butt in dere!”

“OW! HEY!” President Loki careened forward and nearly tripped over some bricks. He put his hands on his rear and spun around. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Teachin’ ya not ta be so squeamish.”

President Loki glared darkly. “You’ll pay dearly for this.”

“Dat threat ain’t gonna work, ‘cause ya ain’t beatin’ me up again. Ah already told ya ah ain’t gonna go easy on ya de next time.” He stepped forward. “Ah ain’t here ta get into a spank war wit’cha.”

“I told you I’m still sore!” President Loki rubbed his bottom.

“Now, ya know how it feels.”

President Loki didn’t say anymore as Gambit pushed by him. The men walked into the dusty, dark chamber on the other side. A cold chill swept over them. Gambit touched a column next to him and charged it to light up the place in a bright purple glow. It revealed several rows of large, tall columns and stone stairs leading to wide stone doors. Walls covered in Egyptian hieroglyphs and paintings of ancient deities enclosed everything. There was also a lot of damage to what was once a stunning monument to Earth’s past. Some of the columns and stairs were broken and lay crumbled in heaps from where the pyramid had been dropped. It was clear from where they stood that the place was unsafe, so Gambit made a mental note of it.

“Mais, garde des don! Dis place is big big!” Gambit shouted loud enough to send an echo through the tomb. Picking up a rock, he charged it, threw it upward, and detonated it to explode. Smiling he said, “Betcha can’t knock it outta de air ‘fore it goes boom.”

President Loki snorted and rolled his eyes. “Why would I even want to?”

Gambit picked up another rock, charged it, and threw it. It exploded. He did the same with another one, but this time, a shimmering green burst blew the rock to pieces before Gambit had a chance to blow it up. He looked behind him.

“How was that?” President Loki smiled.

“Pooyie, dat was a great shot!” Gambit walked forward to take a closer look at the interior. “Ya know, dis place is actually kinda creepy.”

A small green burst hit him in the rear.

“Yow!!” Gambit yelped and flung his hands back to clasp over his butt. He spun around and scowled at President Loki. “Wha’ was dat for??”

President Loki smirked and shrugged. “I missed.”

Gambit eyed the trickster while he rubbed the sting out of his backside. “How can ya miss? Ah hadn’t thrown ‘nother rock yet.”

“Oh goodness me, really? I thought you did.”

Gambit continued to scowl. “Don’ ever do dat again.” Taking another glance around him, he decided to return to President Loki’s side lest the trickster get trigger-happy.

“Why did you bring me here?” President Loki asked when Gambit walked up to him. The Cajun was still nursing his backside.

Gambit shrugged. “No reason. Jus’ thought we could blow off some energy. Ain’t dis fun?”

President Loki studied the mutant skeptically.

Gambit could feel the trickster watching him, but he ignored it and went back to picking up rocks and other debris and exploding them in the air. “Ain’t every day ya can deface an ancient monument an’ get ‘way wit’ it, yah?” He threw a rock and exploded it near one of the columns. “At one time, ah woulda enjoyed raidin’ a place like dis. Get good money for artifacts.” He pointed ahead. “Watch me t’row one tru dem pillars.”

President Loki grabbed Gambit by the coat and jerked him around to be face-to-face. “What are you playing at, manbaby?”

“Ah ain’t playin’ at nuttin’. Ah jus’ thought it’d be fun ta come here an’ blow off steam. Ya seem tense an’ restless like ya needa let loose an’ use ya powers wit’out de fear of Alioth comin’ after ya.”

President Loki loosened his grip.

Gambit continued, “We part of de same clan—family. Ah thought we needed ta start over an’ learn ta work together an’ be friends. Ah ain’t done nuttin’ to ya, but ya act like ya hate my guts since de second we met.”

“That’s because I don’t work with mortals.”

“Not even ones wit’ cool powers?”

“Not even ones who are radioactive.”

“Ah ain’t radioactive!” Gambit snapped.

“Not even ones whose vocabulary is atrocious.”

“Hey! Ain’t nuttin’ wrong wit’ de way ah talk neither!”

“Oh, really? You speak like an uneducated, uncultured peasant.”

Gambit realized President Loki was trying to push his buttons. “If ya growed up in da south, you’d talk de same way. Ain’t no crime in de way someone talk.”

“I doubt that.” President Loki smirked. “You’re beneath me—all of you are. Like the dirt on the bottom of my shoes.”

“Wha’ ‘bout Blade? He half human.”

“He’s a mongrel. Nothing more disgusting than a half-breed mortal.”

“Ya lucky ah don’ upend ya an’ wup yer butt again.”

President Loki glared darkly at him, but Gambit couldn’t help noticing the uneasy look in the trickster’s eyes.

“Yeah? Well, maybe I’d better give you another dose of mine too.” President Loki snatched Gambit’s coattails.

“HEY! Hey, hey, hey! Whoa! Hang on dere, mon ami.” Gambit jerked out of his hold and turned his back away from the trickster. He whipped out a card, charged it, and held it extended between his index and middle fingers. “No ya don’. Lay a hand on me again, an’ ah’ll shove another one of dese in yer back pocket an’ increase de charge.”

“Oh, so you can spank me, but I can’t spank you.”

“Wha’ ya do ain’t spankin’. Ah spank ya de right way ‘cause ya deserve it. Ya beat me ta get revenge for dat an’ call it spankin’. Dat ain’t right. Ya ain’t gonna beat an’ bully me no more. I’mma put a stop to it righ’ now.”

President Loki eyed the card.

Gambit continued, “If ya get spanked in de right way, it ‘cause ya did somethin’ ta deserve it. Ya made poor choices ya gotta fess up to. Dat wha’ Mobius tryna teach me. We all make bad choices an’ mistakes we gotta fess up to sometimes an’ take consequences for, no matter how unpleasant. Your problem is ya can’ admit ya make mistakes. Ya jus’ gotta be nasty ‘bout it—blame everyone else.” Gambit dropped the charge from his card. “Ah don’ wanna fight ya ‘cause we su’posed ta be allies. Ah brought ya here ta have fun.”

“Beating your posterior would be fun,” said President Loki snidely.

“Ya know what ah mean!”

“Why are you getting mad at me? You’re the one threatening me with spanking!”

“Cause ya actin’ like a brat!”

“I’m not acting like a brat!”

“Ya are, yah.” Silence followed and then Gambit spoke again, “Dere are other Lokis in our clan—your brothers. Are dey beneath ya too?”

“Of course. They’re pathetic, worthless versions of me.”

“Who died an’ made ya king, den?”

President Loki said nothing as he rolled his eyes.

“Wha’ ‘bout de eyeless Loki? He more respectable dan you’ll ever be.”

President Loki waved him off and made a disgusted face. “Please. Don’t mention that worthless piece of offal in my presence. He’s the worst version of me that could ever exist.”

“Why? Cuz he came ta terms wit’ hisself an’ turned good?”

“Yes! Imagine a version of me becoming a monk. It’s too absurd to even think about. It makes me ill to think that version of me even came out of the timeline.”

“Yah, imagine dat. An’ angel an’ de devil livin’ under de same roof.”

“Hey! I resent that!”

“Well, whaddya want me to call ya, den? A heathen?”

President Loki sneered.

Gambit reached into his coat and pulled out a bottle of whisky and a couple of small plastic cups. Smiling, he said, “Dis de real stuff. Not dat fake liquor de TVA offers.”

“Since when did you sample the TVA’s liquor?”

“When ah was dere.”

“Before or after they spanked you?”

Gambit cut his eyes at the trickster. “Mobius took me to de cafeteria for meals. Is dat a crime?”

“Sounds like you got cozy with that place.” President Loki eyed him suspiciously. “And the way you speak of it makes me think you secretly miss it.”

Ignoring him, Gambit said, “Ya wanna know why ah brought’cha here? Ah jus’ thought we could talk, drink, an’ blow stuff up. Just two guys doin’…well…guy stuff. Put de past behind us an’ show dere’s no hard feelin’s between us.”

President Loki stood silent and then he grinned. “I’ll admit that, for a mortal, your idea of fun actually matches my own. I’m impressed. Perhaps I have misjudged you.”

Gambit smiled and offered a cup to President Loki. “Ah gotta lot of energy flowin’ through me. Sometimes ah gotta let it out.”

President Loki took the cup with a puzzled expression on his face.

“Havin’ powers comes with a price,” Gambit answered the trickster’s unanswered question while he filled their cups. “Sometimes it’s cool, sometimes it feel like a curse. But dis de way ah was born, so ah gotta live wit’ it. Ah learned long time ago dat when ah start feelin’ restless, ah needa go out an’ blow stuff up—release some of my energy.” He downed his cup and poured himself another one.

President Loki raised his cup. “This doesn’t mean we have to be friends, does it?”

Gambit lifted an eyebrow. “Not unless ya wanna be. If ya want, ah can beat your bum black ‘n’ blue like ya did mine after we get done blowin’ up dis here pyramid.”

President Loki actually laughed and took a sip of his drink.

“Ah would sit down, but ya made sure ah wasn’t gonna do dat for a while.” Gambit glanced at the nearest chunk of stone brick that was big enough to use as a bench. “Dat stone ain’t gonna agree wit’ my bum.”

“The child version of me said something about you having a healing factor.”

“Ah do, mais dere are some t’ings dat can take a bit longer ta heal. De bruises ya put in me are still smartin’.”

President Loki shifted from one foot to the other.

“But de mental pain, dat can’ be healed by no healin’ factor, no.”

“Mental pain?”

Gambit glanced at the trickster. “De wounds ya reopened when ya restrained me—memories when ah was tortured by a man named Sinister.”

“You were…tortured?”

“Yah. He strapped me down an’ performed painful experiments on me. An’ had fun inflictin’ pain on me in de process.”

President Loki stared, not saying a word.

“Wha’ ya did ta me was painful ‘nough, mais it ain’t nearly painful as wha’ Sinister did ta me. At least ya didn’t jab me wit’ needles an’ probe me an’ other t’ings ah ain’t gonna say out loud. Ya ever had twenty or more needles jabbed in ya butt, legs, an’ arms in da same day for no reason other dan de sadistic monster doin’ it jus’ enjoys it?”

President Loki’s mouth worked and he looked down at his cup.

Gambit set down the whisky bottle and pointed at Loki’s lapel button. “So, wha’s wit’ de president get up anyway? Ya don’ strike me as de political type.”

It took the trickster a few minutes to answer, his thoughts still on Gambit’s past. “Normally, I’m not. I got sucked into your Midgard circus without intending to.”

“How?”

“Trying to prove a point—that mortals are gullible fools who will elect anyone as their leader regardless if they lie to them or not.”

“Ah hafta confess, ah can’ argue wit’ dat one.” Gambit shook his head and took a drink. “Which side did’ja run for?”

“Neither. I ran as my own side—my own party—since both parties lie through their teeth. I wouldn’t vote for either of them myself.”

“De King of Lies wouldn’t vote for someone who lies?” Gambit laughed. “Wha’ got ya taken outta de timeline, den? Ya tick off a politician by revealin’ dey lie?”

President Loki moved uneasily. “I got taken out because I wasn’t meant to be president.”

Gambit eyed the trickster closely. “Ya lyin’. Ah can tell.”

President Loki turned a stunned face to the Cajun, nearly coming close to dropping his cup. “I’m not lying!”

“You are, yah. An’ ya jus’ lied again ta cover over de first lie.”

President Loki’s mouth hung open. “H-how did you…?” He straightened up. “No mortal has ever been able to see through my lies. Well, except for Mobius and that one girl… But that’s a different story.”

Gambit grinned. “Ah know when someone lyin’, mon ami. Ah’m Cajun.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

Gambit chuckled. “We Cajuns can spot a lie a mile ‘way an’ even approve a good one. Heck, ah’ve spun quite a few lies in my time.” Gambit looked at his cup. “Ya forget, ah’m also a thief an’ a gambler. Ya t’ink ya can pull one over on Gambit? Ah know when someone trynna bluff me. Ah ain’t de fool ya take me for. Besides, ah already know ya a menteur—a liar. Thori told me all ‘bout’cha. Ah knew it only a matter of time ‘fore ya tried it wit’ me.”

“I could have been telling the truth.”

“Ya could, but we both know dat not de way ya work. Ah’d tell a lie, too, if ah was trynna hide somethin’.”

“Sounds like we’ve got a lot in common. More than I realized.” President Loki smiled deviously. He finished the rest of his drink and set aside his cup.

Gambit chortled. “If y’all knew half de stuff ah’ve done, Blade would whoop both our butts.” He grinned. “Jus’ for de records; ah wouldn’t have voted for ya.”

President Loki shot him a glare.

“So, tell me. Wha’ got ya kicked outta de timeline? De truth dis time.”

“Why do you care?”

“Jus’ curious. Wha’? Is it a secret or somethin’?”

President Loki looked at the floor. He kicked a piece of brick.

Gambit lifted an eyebrow as he studied the trickster curiously.

“It doesn’t matter now,” was all President Loki said before he walked forward and stopped.

“Now ya makin’ me even more curious.”

“I helped a reporter get a job,” the trickster snapped. “There! You satisfied?”

“Ya wha’?”

“I staged my campaign to partly help a reporter get a job to make up for the damages I did fighting the Avengers,” President Loki said softly. “That’s all you need to know.” He folded his arms over his chest and stared out into the main part of the pyramid.

“Ya did somethin’ good?”

“Yes. Don’t let it get around, manbaby. My reputation would be ruined.”

Gambit smiled. He picked up and threw another rock. “Ehh….boom!” It exploded and took out a chunk of a column. “Ah-hah! Can ya top dat one?”

President Loki stretched out his hand and grabbed a large piece of stone with an ‘invisible hand’. He made a throwing gesture, which his telekinesis complied with, sending the chunk of rock soaring through the air to crash into the door at the top of the stairs with a deafening BOOM that shook the walls and dislodged loose stones around the area.

Gambit turned an impressive, boyish grin to the trickster. “Dat was cool! Jus’ like de Force in Star Wars!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Star Wars. Ya ain’t never seen it? It a movie.”

President Loki shook his head.

“An’ ya call me uncultured.”

“Forgive me for spending a good portion of my life in this miserable purgatory,” President Loki said sarcastically. “I didn’t ask for it.”

“Ah jus’ thought ya mighta seen it ‘fore ya were dumped here.”

“I have no need for mortal entertainment.”

“Dere ya go lyin’ again.”

President Loki was about to say something else but closed his mouth.

“Wha’ ‘bout women? Ya gotta girlfriend somewhere?”

“Pfffft. No. Why would I?”

Gambit took a swig of his drink and looked at the trickster. “Jus’ askin’.” He set down his cup, threw another charged rock, and exploded it near the ceiling, sending clouds of dust and debris raining down. “Blade said dere are women here.”

“It’s me. He was referring to me.”

“Wha??” Gambit glanced over at Loki and took a step back when he saw the trickster had shapeshifted into a woman—a beautiful, shapely blonde wearing a tight-fitting glittery green sleeveless evening dress that tapered down to matching green high-heel shoes.

“Mon Dieu! Ain’t no way.” Gambit wrinkled his nose. “Ah ain’t goin’ dere.”

“Or if you prefer animals.” A green wave washed over President Loki and his upper half turned into a wolf’s head wearing lipstick, long eyelashes, and a blonde wig. He looked like some hideous cartoon character. He winked and grinned a fanged grin.

Gambit took a few more steps back. “Dat ain’t right, mon ami.”

President Loki laughed and changed back to his normal form with another green wave of magic. “Just wanted to see your face.”

“Very funny.”

“You wanted to join the X-Men, right?” A green wave washed over him again, and this time his appearance changed to Wolverine. “Like this, bub?” He extended his claws with a shuing and ran them through his leg. “Ahhhhggg, my leg!” He fell on one knee, pretending to gasp in pain, and then he pulled out his claws. “But I gotta healin’ factor better ‘n’ yours, bub.”

Gambit scowled. “Don’ mock him.”

A green wave washed over him and President Loki changed back to his normal form again while grinning from ear to ear. “Just a bit of fun. No harm done.”

“Why ya gotta be dat way?”

“I’m a trickster, remember? It’s what I do.”

“Wha’ is it ya really want?”

“What do I want?” President Loki chuckled. “All I want is a throne from which to rule.”

Gambit nodded. “Good luck wit’ dat.” He turned around and walked forward. “Ah don’ t’ink ya were ever meant ta be a ruler.”

“And why is that?” President Loki said irritably.

“‘Cause ya a trickster. Tricksters can’ stay still for long, am ah right? Ya get bored too easily. Like me.” He glanced at Loki. “Ah jus’ can’ see ya bein’ satisfied wit’ sittin’ on a throne all day givin’ out orders.”

President Loki shot Gambit’s backside with another magic burst.

“Yow!” Gambit grabbed his bottom with one hand and pulled out a card with his other, charged it, and threw it at Loki’s feet. It exploded with enough force to knock the trickster back on his rear. “Ah said don’ do dat!” He rubbed out the sting.

President Loki smirked as he got back on his feet. He threw another burst.

Gambit whipped out his bo staff and deflected it. “Heh.”

President Loki shot a volley of bursts toward the Cajun, all of which were easily deflected.

“Dat de best ya can do?”

A devilish grin parted the trickster’s lips and his hands glowed an even brighter green. With a wave of his hand, he sent a green ball of magical energy rolling toward Gambit.

The Cajun performed a backflip, allowing the ball to pass underneath him before coming back down to land on his feet. His eyes lit up purple as kinetic energy flowed from his hand into his bo staff, charging the long piece of metal.

A green wave passed over President Loki and he turned into a giant snake that towered up into the pyramid’s tall ceiling. He struck out toward the mutant with his fanged mouth.

Gambit dodged and swung his staff upward and slammed it into the side of the snake’s head. The energy from it knocked Snake Loki backward, his head slamming into the pyramid’s crumbling wall. Pieces of large bricks fell around him.

“You’re right, manbaby,” Snake Loki hissed. “I can’t ssssit still for long. But I wasss born a prince, and I ssstill have a desire to rule.”

“Sometimes ya can’ always do wha’ ya wanna do.” Gambit took a swing at Loki’s body. “Ah t’ink de TVA taught us dat de hard way.”

“Hang the TVA! I will rule sssomeday!”

Gambit threw a couple of charged cards, both exploding harmlessly against the long, scaly body. “Ah wish ya de best wit’ dat.” He did a series of acrobatic moves up Loki’s body, but Loki hit him with his tail and knocked the Cajun out of the air.

“Thisss feelsss good,” snake Loki hissed. “Remindss me of when I used to spar with Thor. Only your staff doesn’t hurt quite as much as his hammer did.”

“Ah can always increase de charge.”

President Loki’s body rippled and bulged in odd places as the snake’s snout grew longer and a pair of wings sprouted from his back. The snake’s overall appearance changed into a serpentine dragon.

“Be my guest.” Dragon Loki spewed green fire at Gambit, which he dodged.

“Ohhh, naw. It ‘bout ta get real crazy up in here, yah.” Gambit grinned widely with a wild look in his glowing eyes. He bolted forward, put his foot on the dragon’s belly, and half ran and half jumped up the tall body. “Somehow ah still feel like ya makin’ dis too easy.” He slammed his staff against the underside of the dragon’s mouth. Loki had been in the process of breathing fire just as the staff made contact with his chin. The spray of flames was redirected upward, which loosened even more bricks. Loki swung his tail around, sweeping several columns and causing them to topple over with a heavy crash that reverberated through the ground.

“Ah t’ink it migh’ be time ta leave,” said Gambit as he hung from Loki’s jaw fin by one hand. “We beatin’ it up pretty bad. Migh’ fall on us.”

Loki hissed. “Let it.”

Gambit let go and fell straight down, landing perfectly on his feet. “Non. Ya can stay, but ah ain’t gonna be flattened to no pancake.”

“Why? You seem to love them.”

Gambit snatched his bottle of whisky and put it inside his coat along with the cups. “Very funny. ‘Sides, we been gone long time. Ah’m gettin’ hungry. It been a good workout, though.”

A green wave washed over President Loki and his large dragon form returned to his normal form.

A loud crack made the men turn. Before their eyes, a piece of the pyramid’s ceiling gave way and caved in—a huge slab of heavy brick fell in the center of the cavern with a deafening bang.

Gambit and Loki quickly darted out of the doorway they’d made just as they heard more of the pyramid cave in on itself.

“Woo! Dat was fun, yah?”

President Loki smirked. “It was…amusing, I suppose.”

“We gonna hafta find ‘nother place ta do dis again.”

“Agreed.”

“C’mon. Dere still food at de Roxxcart. We can eat somethin’ dere ‘fore goin’ home. Besides, ah t’ink we needa get outta dis area. Dat pyramid collapsin’ might bring Alioth here.”

Chapter Text

It was late afternoon when Gambit and President Loki returned to the church. Even though they weren’t friends yet, President Loki looked a lot less threatening than when he left. However, he still lagged behind, his hands thrust deep into his pockets.

Thori barked and wagged his tail and ran to smell Gambit’s feet. “Baby Cajun okay!”

“Ouais, I’mma fine,” the Cajun smiled. He bent over to rub Thori’s back.

The pup danced around and licked his hand. He growled when he saw President Loki. “Nasty President.”

“Thori, don’. He been good most de time. No reason ta hate him.”

“You forget I hate everyone equally.” Thori followed along beside Gambit.

“Includin’ me?”

“Especially you, booger head.” Thori snorted flames on his leg.

Gambit grinned. “Whatever ya say, fuzz butt.”

“Thori gonna burn yours.”

“No ya ain’t.”

“Where have you two been?” Blade asked from his place in the lawn chair. “I thought I’d have to go out looking for you, only to find you’d killed each other.”

Gambit laughed. “We jus’ been doin’ guy stuff.” He turned to President Loki. “Ain’t dat right?”

President Loki shrugged. “Yeah.”

Blade lifted his eyebrows. “And what is this ‘guy stuff’?”

“Jus’ foolin’ ‘round mostly—talkin’.”

“Does this mean you’re both friends now and you’re not gonna tear down the building?”

“Naw, we ain’t friends. We on speakin’ terms, but we ain’t friends.”

President Loki shuffled over and sat down in the lawn chair by the church.

Blade gave Gambit a questioning look.

“He still needs time,” the Cajun whispered. “But ah t’ink ah’m headed in de right direction.”

“All he needs is good butt-whooping,” Thori snarled.

“Only when he done somethin’ deservin’ of it,” said Gambit softly.

“Him beating you makes him deserving!”

“Blade already whooped him for dat.” Gambit looked at Loki. “We jus’ gotta work on changin’ him now. He a good person underneath, ah t’ink. Jus’ gotta dig hard ta find it.”

“Hard and deep,” Blade added with a snort.

Gambit entered the church and went to his room. He put the bottle of whisky back on his supply shelves and set the cups aside to be washed.

“Did vile President hurt you?” Thori asked as he walked into the room. He stopped behind the Cajun and breathed fire on his backside.

“Thori!” Gambit threw his hands behind him. Even though the flames weren’t hot, he still couldn’t get used to the Hel-Hound’s strange show of affection. “Ah wish ya warn me ‘fore ya do dat.”

Smiling, Thori walked between Gambit’s legs and peered up at him.

“Don’cha do it under dere,” he warned. “De President, he didn’t hurt me, no. He try, but Gambit stand up ta him.” He walked over and sat on the bed gingerly. Wincing, he slid his hands under him. “He popped me a few times wit’ his magic, though.”

Thori laughed.

“It ain’t funny. Dat stuff stings!”

“Thori knows. Stupid President used it on me too.” The pup walked over and jumped on the bed. “So, what else did you do?”

“Jus’ talk like ah said. We also got in a fight—jus’ a friendly one. An’ we destroyed a pyramid.”

“Sounds like fun. Next time, Thori help. Did you get to know him better?”

“Ah did, yah. A lil’.” Gambit thought back on their conversations and what President Loki did to get pruned. “Ah honestly believe he ain’t so bad. He jus’ gotta let go of all de hate an’ anger.”

“Thori full of hate and anger.”

“But ya ain’t nasty like he is.”

“Thori can be nasty.”

“Ya jus’ nasty in other ways.”

Thori nipped Gambit’s arm.

The Cajun scowled and pulled his arm away. “Hey!”

“Bend over.”

“Naw, ah ain’t dumb.”

“Ruff!” said Thori.

“Ya see? Ya nasty in other ways.”

A tremor shook the floor under them.

Gambit frowned. “Wha’ was dat?”

Thori growled and barked. “Commandos are here!” He flew off the bed and skittered out of the room. “Fight! Murder! Death to all who oppose Deathripper’s hellfire!” he screamed as he ran down the hallway.

“Wha’??”

“They’re back!” Blade shouted. “Monster Truck coming up fast! Get a move on, people!”

Gambit had no idea what was going on as he felt more tremors through the floor. He grabbed several packs of cards, shoved them in his pockets, and ran to the living room just in time to see Child Loki and No Eyes Loki running out the front door.

“DEATH! MURDER!” Thori shouted as he zigzagged between everyone’s feet and tumbled out in a flurry of fire and flailing legs.

“Wha’ goin’ on?” Gambit asked, but no one heard him as whatever was taking place had the group’s full attention. Everything felt rehearsed as if this wasn’t the first time.

Outside, Gambit ran to join the others. They were standing, facing the left field beside the church. At first, he couldn’t understand what they were worked up about. Then he saw a ginormous vehicle soaring through the sky, coming up over a hill in the distance. When Blade mentioned something about a monster truck, he thought the man meant a monster truck. This was like no monster truck he’d ever seen. It was at least ten times bigger, possibly more, and was shaped like a dragon with glowing toxic green eyes, most of it being a head with a long jointed metal tail sticking out from the back. Even though it had wheels, it flew using of a pair of massive red wings. Something about it and the way it moved gave the impression that it wasn’t just some inanimate object but was a living being with a soul. It flew up and then down, diving over the garbage and Void wreckage around it. Whatever it didn’t dodge was mercilessly destroyed under the weight of its huge wheels during the times it rolled over the ground. Gambit wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw someone running in front of it. It was hard to tell at this distance.

No Eyes Loki flew into the air and levitated over the group. “Sounds like they’re approaching fast.”

“They are,” said Blade as he watched the truck.

“They’re coming more often now. How many times has it been this week?” Child Loki asked.

“Four, I think.”

“We aren’t prepared!” Child Loki whimpered.

“Just stay calm.”

No Eyes Loki came down to hover in place a couple of feet from the ground. A circle of green magic pulsed from his body and washed over everything around him. At first, Gambit didn’t understand, but then he saw the blind Loki touch a pile of cement blocks as he moved forward.

“Dat pulse…” Gambit asked as he walked up to stand beside the blind trickster.

No Eyes Loki smiled. “It works like radar sense and gives me sight. It’s always wise for me to familiarize myself with my surroundings and where everyone is before something begins.”

“An’ durin’ battle?”

“I give off more pulses.”

Blade walked forward and kept his eyes trained on the approaching vehicle. He pulled out a sword.

“Ah don’ unnerstand. Wha’s goin’ on?” Gambit pulled out and extended his bo staff. “Who are dese people?”

“They’re called The Howling Commandoes,” Blade answered.

“De Howlin’ wha’?”

“Commandoes. They’re S.H.I.E.L.D. agents same as me. Or they were before we ended up in this hellhole. They’re my comrades. We worked as a team to bring down the supernatural threats.”

“Friends o’ yours? Den why dey attackin?”

“They’ve been bewitched,” Blade said in disgust.

“They haven’t been bewitched. They’ve been possessed!” President Loki growled.

“Basically the same thing.”

“Call it what you will,” said No Eyes Loki. “It doesn’t change the fact they come here to attack us several times a week.”

“Why dey attackin?”

“They want me,” said Blade grimly.

“I’ve already suggested we just throw him out there and be done with this nonsense,” said President Loki.

“And I’ve told you we’re not throwing anyone out there,” No Eyes Loki countered.

“Maybe we should throw you out there and see if you survive.” Blade smirked at the President.

“This is exactly why I want to leave you people and strike out on my own,” President Loki grumbled.

“You wouldn’t survive,” Blade retorted.

“I’m a Loki! I can survive anywhere!”

“Then you can survive here.”

“Ah hate ta break dis up, but ‘s dere more ta dis ah needa know ‘bout?”

“They’re bewitched,” Blade repeated. “Dracula’s got them under his hypnosis—controlling them and using them as pawns—but we haven’t been able to find his lair. I’ll explain later. Right now we need to focus on the current threat.”

The Monster Truck was getting closer.

“Look! Dey chasin’ someone.” Gambit pointed to the small thing running in front of the truck that he’d noticed earlier. It looked like some kind of animal with a child riding on its back, but Gambit couldn’t be sure. Whoever it was was desperately trying to get away while dodging trash piles, crumbled buildings, and cars.

“If they slow down or stop, they’re dead,” Blade murmured. He pulled out another sword. Louder he said, “Everyone to the center of the field. Keep them as far away from the church as you can.” He turned to No Eyes Loki. “Eyeless, put a shield around us like you did before.”

No Eyes Loki nodded and hovered forward ahead of them. When he was far enough out in the middle of the field, he held up his hands, and a green magical barrier formed into place around the area, shielding the small party from the oncoming threat. “I don’t know how long I can hold this. I’m still weak from the last several attacks.”

“Just do your best.”

“We gotta help dem,” said Gambit. “Dose people runnin’ in front of de truck.”

“You go out there, pretty boy, and you’ll die,” President Loki spat. “On second thought, that’s a good idea. Go ahead and help them.”

“Shut up!” Blade snapped. To Gambit he said, “I wouldn’t worry about them. They’re headed in this direction. If they don’t tire out, we can grab them as they run by.” Blade grimaced. “If the Commandoes don’t quiet that motor, we’re all gonna be dead.” He shook his head as the Monster Truck revved again. “It’s enough noise to signal Alioth.”

“That’s what we don’t need right now,” said No Eyes Loki.

Child Loki glanced at the sky. “I don’t see him, so maybe he hasn’t heard it yet.”

“If he hasn’t, he will,” Blade grumbled.

“Incoming!” No Eyes Loki shouted.

Everyone stood alert. Thori ran back and forth, barking and spewing flames.

A projectile had shot out of the truck and was swirling through the air, squealing for all it was worth toward them. No Eyes Loki braced for the impact by pushing against his magical shield as if he were pushing against a brick wall. The missile hit the barrier with a loud explosion that shook the earth under them. Gambit admitted he had his doubts at first, thinking this would be the end, but the barrier held in place.

“Blade! Ya know our backdoor’s wide open, yah?”

Blade glanced behind them to see the other side of their ‘yard’ was unprotected. Nothing was keeping the Howling Commandoes from going around the barrier.

“Hey, Eyeless! Extend your barrier to cover our back and the church!”

“I can’t! I told you my magic is still weak from all the other attacks this week. They haven’t given me time to fully replenish it. I’m doing all I can to keep this barrier standing. My brothers will have to help.”

“They’ve been attacking more frequently,” Blade mumbled. “Probably trying to weaken us on purpose so they can move in.” He looked at Child Loki.

The young trickster shook his head. “I-I can’t! I don’t know how. Besides, my magic isn’t that powerful.”

Blade turned to President Loki. “You heard him; go put up a shield behind us!”

“You’re not the boss of me!” President Loki spat.

“You gonna start this now?”

Another missile hit the barrier with a loud BOOM and made everyone turn around. No Eyes Loki was still struggling to keep the shield standing.

Everything happened at once, as it usually does. As the child on the animal got closer, Gambit’s jaw dropped.

Blade lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t believe it…”

“That’s not a child,” said Child Loki. “It’s a…”

“Gambit,” Blade finished for him. He slowly turned to look at Gambit. “What are the odds we’d end up with two of you at the same time?”

Gambit blinked in surprise and couldn’t take his eyes off the little tiny Gambit straddling the top of a walking shark that was carrying a carving knife in its mouth. The small Gambit was short and squatty just as the little Azazel had been. Thankfully, no diaper. He was dressed head to toe in similar clothes to his own, except they were smaller in size. He looked like a miniature version of himself, but his eyes…they were solid black with red irises.

“Hey! Let us in!” the little Gambit demanded in a comical squeaky voice when he reached the barrier. He was holding tightly to the shark’s dorsal fin with both hands. With his eyes full of terror, he glanced behind him. “Quick! It not safe out here!”

No Eyes Loki waved his hand upward as if he were lifting a curtain from the bottom and a small door appeared in the barrier big enough for the newcomers to walk through. When they were safely inside, he closed the hole.

“Why are you letting them in??” President Loki shouted angrily. “You don’t know they can be trusted! They could be possessed too! They could be spies sent here to kill us in our sleep!”

“If they were, I’d know. I’m not sensing anything of the sort,” Blade assured.

“How can we trust your senses?”

Blade sighed. “Says the one person who can’t be trusted.” He pushed President Loki away roughly. “You already know I can sense supernatural threats. Now go protect that other side like I told you!”

“Hey! You can’t shove me around!”

“We’re in the middle of battle, and you’re worried about me shoving you?”

“You want to make something of it, mongrel?”

Gambit lifted his bo staff and clonked President Loki on the back of the head.

“OW!” President Loki rubbed his head.

“He said go protect de other side!”

“I don’t take orders from you, manbaby!”

“Ya wanna ‘nother whack?” Gambit gripped his staff tighter.

A shrill whistle cut through the air. “We got enough going on here without you kids fighting yourselves.” Blade turned to President Loki. “Go put up a barrier on the other side!”

“He started it!” President Loki fumed.

Gambit lifted his bo. “An’ I’mma gonna finish it too, yah!”

“And I’m gonna take a switch to both of your butts if you don’t stop it.” Blade shoved President Loki. “Get to the other side of the church! I’m not gonna tell you again.”

Thori breathed fire at President Loki’s feet. “YOU HEARD HIM, FILTHY BOOGER BRAIN PRESIDENT! GO!”

President Loki stumbled backward and glanced at Gambit.

“Ya wan’ ah stick one of my charged cards down ya britches?” Gambit held up a card.

President Loki finally did as he was told but not without giving Blade and Gambit dirty looks as he retreated to the other side of the field.

“If it wasn’t for the fact we need him, I’d wring his neck,” Blade mumbled. “I thought you made some sort of connection with him today.”

“Like ah said, it gonna take time. He still got lotta stuff he needa work out.”

Blade shook his head. “Good luck with that. I don’t envy you.”

Gambit shifted on his feet. “Ya really gonna take a switch ta me?” he whispered nervously.

Blade lifted an eyebrow and said nothing in reply, which made the Cajun even more nervous.

Little Gambit and the shark exchanged confused glances. Both of them looked exhausted. The shark was wet with sweat and panting profusely. He took a few steps forward on shaky legs, stumbled, dropped his knife, and collapsed with his tongue hanging out, sending the little Gambit rolling over the grass.

“Wha’ a time ta give out, Jeff!” Mini Gambit griped.

“Mrrrrrr…” Jeff whined.

Thori ran up to smell the shark. “What are you?”

“Mrrrr.”

“You smell funny.”

“Dat Jeff. He landshark,” said Mini Gambit.

Thori perked his head up and stared at the small Gambit. “Baby Baby Cajun?”

“Wha?”

“You’re a baby of Baby Cajun.”

“Ah ain’t no baby!” Mini Gambit scowled.

Thori bounded over and sniffed him all over and licked his face. “You’re baby Baby Cajun!”

“Stoppit!” Mini Gambit pushed the pup away.

“Mrrrrr,” Jeff groaned out.

“Funny shark dog and baby Baby Cajun!” Thori wagged his tail.

Gambit stared down at the odd spectacle a few feet from him. The little Gambit finally looked up at him, equally taken back by what he was seeing. He stared dumbfounded.

“Y-you’re me!” he said as he pointed up. “But…how? Ah didn’t t’ink dere were no other Gambits here.” He looked Gambit up and down. “An’ ya big big!”

“An’ ya tiny, T-Gambit.” Gambit tossed a pack of cards to Mini Gambit. The little Cajun caught them and looked up at him. “Figured ya were probably out,” he said with a shrug.

Mini Gambit smiled.

“I don’t know what this is, but it’s gonna have to wait until later,” said Blade as he waved his hand between both Gambits. “Because we’ve got company.”

Gambit pulled his eyes away from the tiny version of himself and looked out across the field. The Monster Truck had landed not far from them. The dragon’s mouth was open and a long metal tongue was hanging out, reaching to the ground, acting as steps for the people inside.

The people inside… A man covered in brown, shaggy fur walked out first—more like bounded out and landed on all fours. His eyes were piercing red and his jeans were shredded.

“JACK!” Blade shouted. “I’ve told you not to come near this place!”

“Dracula sends his best,” the other man snarled through a mouthful of fangs. “You know we’re not going to give up until we’ve brought you before our lord and master.”

“He’s bewitched you, Jack. You’re not thinking straight.”

“He a rougarou? —a werewolf?” Gambit asked.

“Yes.”

“Den why he look like dat? It’s daylight. Ain’t werewolves su’posed ta turn into wolves at night when de moon’s full?”

Blade shook his head. “He was pruned while he was in that form. It’s this blasted void. It’s messed with him somehow. No time here.”

“How many in dere?”

“Four.”

The others emerged as Gambit watched them come down out of the truck. There was a mummy, Frankenstein’s monster, and a huge grass-covered creature that looked like a walking bush with an elephant’s trunk. All of them stood in place behind Jack.

“Père malfait…” Gambit whispered when he saw the grass creature. He looked at Blade. “Ya said dey your comrades?”

Blade nodded. “Jack Russell aka Werewolf by Night, Frankenstein’s monster, N’Kantu the Living Mummy, and Man-Thing aka Ted.” He nodded to the blind Loki. “Lower your shield.”

Thori growled, his hackles standing on end.

“Blade, no!” Child Loki ran up between Blade and Gambit. “You know we’re outnumbered and outgunned! They haven’t given us enough time to recover from the other attacks.”

“DIE!” Thori barked out.

“What do you mean, we’re outnumbered? There’s four of them and five of us.” Blade pointed out.

“Die, vampire scum!”

“Okay, six of us.” Blade pointed to the two new members. “Eight if you count them. We’re hardly outnumbered.”

“It still feels like we’re outgunned, especially since Eyeless Loki is weak and my magic isn’t strong enough.” He glanced at Mini Gambit and Jeff. “We’ve been fighting them all week and we’re tired. Even the new ones are exhausted. If we keep this up, someone’s going to get hurt or worse.”

“What do you suggest we do, then? Wait until they leave? Eyeless can’t hold out that long.”

“Ouais, ah don’ t’ink dey gonna leave anytime soon.” Gambit peered at the other group patiently waiting for the signal to rip them apart.

“Unnngh!”

Everyone turned their eyes to No Eyes Loki. He was running out of strength and it showed. The poor Loki’s arms trembled and sweat poured down his face.

“Eyeless can’t hold the barrier much longer. We have no choice.” He nodded to No Eyes Loki. “Go ahead and lower the barrier.”

No Eyes Loki’s arms dropped to his sides, and he collapsed on his knees…and the barrier disappeared, leaving the small group of outcasts wide open.

“Laissez les bons temps rouler,” Gambit breathed. “Let de good times roll.” He charged his bo staff and pulled out a handful of cards and charged them in his other hand.

“Whatever you do, don’t kill them. Just hurt them if you’re able to,” Blade instructed. “They’re still my comrades. In time, I hope to free them from Dracula’s spell.”

President Loki walked up to join them. “So, are we fighting now?”

“Yes.”

Jack Russell and the other monsters advanced toward them.

“Gambit, be careful of Man-Thing. He’ll burn you if you show fear.”

“Dat de père malfait?”

“If that means the swamp creature, Ted, then yes.”

“Pfft. Me ‘fraid o’ dat t’ing? G’wan.” Gambit waved him off. “Dat bug dis mornin’ gave me de frissons more ‘n’ dat t’ing does.”

“Just the same. Be careful.”

“So, what’s it gonna be, Blade? You coming with us, or are we doing this the hard way?” Jack growled out.

“You already know the answer to that.” Blade tightened his hands around the hilts of his swords. “I want you to tell me the location of your master.”

“Why should I do that?”

“So I can run a stake through his bloody chest.”

Jack snarled, bounded forward, and leaped into the air. Before he could touch Blade, Gambit stepped between the two and smacked the werewolf hard in the face with his charged staff. The energy burst the impact made knocked the man back at least twenty feet as if he’d touched a force field.

“Down, boy,” Gambit quipped.

Next up, Frankenstein’s monster came barreling toward them, swinging his hammer arm.

“You gonna pop him too?” Blade asked.

“Nah, dat one’s all yours.”

“Don’t you go chickening out on me now.”

“Ah vote we push de President out in front o’ dat one.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” said President Loki.

Blade and Gambit shared a smile.

Frankenstein’s right hand extended out on a chain, aimed at Blade. The vampire hunter easily deflected it with a flick of his sword. Gambit brought his staff down in the middle of the chain, pinning it to the ground.

By now, Jack had regained his senses and was barreling forward again, but President Loki shot him with a magical burst before he could reach them, again sending the poor man spiraling backward. He howled and growled in frustration, his eyes glowing a brighter red.

“Ya know, you can easily take all dem if ya wanted to.”

President Loki glanced at Gambit, not taking his eyes off Jack. “What are you babbling on about, mutant mortal?”

“Ya destroyed a pyramid.” He grunted as Frankenstein jerked his hand back. Gambit was momentarily knocked off balance.

A devilish smile curved President Loki’s lips.

“What are you two talking about?” Blade looked between the trickster and Cajun. Finally, his eyes rested on Gambit. “You destroyed a pyramid?” He took a step back when President Loki’s body started changing shape and growing into a dragon. With one flick of his tail, the trickster sent Frankenstein’s monster soaring into Man-Thing.

“Well, I’ll be a…” Blade breathed. “We’ve been living together how long, and I never knew you could do that. Why didn’t you do it before now?”

“Didn’t feel like it,” Dragon Loki hissed. He ran forward, his serpentine body coiling as he went. He made the ideal distraction as all Commandoes were now focused on him. Jack leaped on his back while Frankenstein took a swing at him with his hammered arm. President Loki snatched Jack up in his mouth and slung him away. N’Kantu started chanting some kind of spell but was cut short when Loki’s tail wrapped around his head and forced him to the ground. “The only spell casting done around here will come from Lokis,” he decreed.

“Now’s our chance!” Blade shouted. “Move in!”

At Blade’s command, Commandoes, Lokis, Gambits, and everyone else clashed. Gambit lost track of everyone quickly once he ran into the thick of the battle. He spun his bo staff around to deflect Frankenstein’s blow and then whipped it around the other way to crack across Jack’s ribs. He felt President Loki’s tail hit him in the back of the head but wasn’t sure if it was accidental or deliberate.

“Ah’m on your side!” he shouted at the dragon.

“I know.”

“Den why ya hit me?”

“Payback for clonking me on the head.”

Gambit stuck the sharp end of his staff in President Loki’s backside swiftly.

“Yeow!” he cried out and glared down at the Cajun.

Gambit smirked in satisfaction while he deflected another attack from Frank.

“I’m watching you, manbaby!”

Child Loki took on Man-Thing. He shapeshifted into a wolf and bit at the grassy monster’s feet.

Jeff the shark ran around everyone’s feet, slicing and jabbing with his knife while Thori spewed flames and bit.

N’Kantu shot out a stream of wrapping, grabbed hold of Mini Gambit, and picked him up to hold upside down.

“HEY! Leggo!” he screeched out while squirming in the hold. Gambit flung a charged card and hit the mummy. The explosion caused the creature to drop his mini-self, who bounced a few times when he made contact with the ground. “Oww. Dat hurt…”

“Watch yaself, T-Gambit,” Gambit warned. Mini Gambit stuck his tongue out, which took him by surprise. “Don’ remember ever bein’ dat rude.”

Blade and Jack collided in a blur of fur, teeth, and blades.

“It doesn’t have to be this way!” Blade said as he pushed Jack away with his swords. “You’re under hypnosis and being used. Let me help you.”

“NO!” Jack growled and lunged forward. He jumped on Blade and snapped and clawed at his face.

Gambit flipped around, dodging Frank’s hammer blows and his retractable hand. He threw cards at the creature, which barely phased him. Frank’s hand extended out again. Gambit flipped to the side to evade it and touched and charged the chain. It exploded once the creature retracted it and made him even madder.

“Someone wanna help me over here?” Gambit shouted. “Can’ shake dis t’ing!”

President Loki picked up Frank with his tail and flung him into the air.

“T’anks!” Feeling something on his leg, he glanced down. Thori was jumping around between his feet. “Not now!”

“Throw me!” said Thori.

“Wha?? T’row ya?”

“Throw me at the moss!”

“Ya sure ‘bout dis?”

“Of course, belch face!”

Gambit hesitated, and then he bent down and scooped up the Hel-Hound in one hand. As if throwing his cards, Gambit flung Thori as hard as he could. The pup soared through the air, over everyone’s heads, past President Loki’s dragon neck, and landed on Man-Thing’s face. He immediately tore into the creature—snarling, scratching, biting, and spewing flames.

“DEATH! Death to bush tree man! Thori do you a murder then pee on you!”

Gambit laughed. He pulled out more cards and threw a spray into the crowd. Some exploded on N’Kantu, others exploded on Frankenstein, and several succeeded in knocking Jack off Blade.

No Eyes Loki lifted his head toward the battle. His breath labored, he shakily got to his feet and hovered off the ground. He summoned what was left of his magic and sent out a pulsing green ring that washed over the field and everyone in its path, knocking Commandoes and allies alike to the ground. He flew forward and picked up one Commando after another with his telekinesis and tossed them toward the Monster Truck.

“You will cease fighting!” he shouted.

“Loki, ya don’ hafta do dis!” Gambit called out with concern. “We got dis!”

No Eyes Loki didn’t respond. He tightened his fists and the magical hold he had on the Commandoes tightened. Jack choked out loud as he gasped for breath.

Gambit ran over to the blind trickster. “Loki, Blade don’ wan’ dem killed.” He put his hand on No Eyes Loki’s shoulder. “‘Sides, dis ain’t like ya.”

No Eyes Loki gasped and stepped back, as if coming out of a trance, and bumped into Gambit. The green magic on his hands was extinguished, releasing the Commandoes.

“I…I…I didn’t mean…”

“Shh. It okay.” Gambit put gentle hands on No Eyes Loki’s arms. “No harm done. Dey leavin’. Ya scared ‘em off.”

The Commandoes retreated into their truck.

“This isn’t over, Blade!” Jack snarled before he disappeared up the ladder.

“I know it isn’t,” the vampire hunter murmured. “It won’t be until we find Dracula.”

The group watched as the Monster Truck revved and flew away.

“I suggest we get inside before Alioth shows up,” said Blade.

As everyone turned to head back home, Child Loki helping No Eyes Loki, Gambit peered around him. He couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched. At first, he expected to see Alioth, but the sky beast was, surprisingly, nowhere to be seen—probably preoccupied with a meal elsewhere. Gambit was about to shrug off his feelings when he spotted someone standing on the same outcropping he saw the time door appear on. It was a tall sinister form of a man with pale green skin and long flowing white hair tied in a ponytail. He was dressed in a black and red armored suit and dark tattered cape. His eyes glowed a piercing red—the same as the eyes of the Commandoes—as he watched, with great interest, the fight that had just taken place.

“Hey, Blade!” Gambit took his eyes away for just a second. When he looked back, his mouth fell open as he watched the armored man turn and walk through a gold time door and disappear in a blink. Confused, Gambit’s eyes searched the area. Was that…Dracula? But why had he disappeared through a TVA time door? Was…was he hiding—working—at the TVA? None of this made sense.

“You wanted me?” Blade asked as he walked up to the Cajun.

Gambit shook his head. “Non.”

“But, I thought you called me.”

“Jus’ thought ah saw somethin’.”

Blade glanced around.

“Coulda been anythin’. Ah’m probably tired from de battle.”

The vampire hunter nodded.

Jeff the shark bounced up to the men, wagging his tail. He deposited his knife at their feet and a huge tongue lolled out of his mouth. Thori trotted up behind him.

“Mrrrrrr!” Jeff said.

“You insult poorly, fish face,” said Thori. He turned on Gambit. “Come on!” He barked. “Hungry!”

“Great. Jus’ what we needed. Another t’ing wit’ teeth.” Gambit looked down at the little shark.

“He might not be good at insults, but he can tear the pants right off you. More than I would,” said Thori. “Which is what I’m gonna do if you don’t get moving!” He grabbed hold of Gambit’s coattails with his teeth and gave them a hard tug. “Bite your butt cheeks hard.”

Gambit glared at him. “Since when ya gettin’ nasty on me?”

“Since I’m hungry.” He blew flames on Gambit’s backside and made the Cajun stiffen. “Burn your butt if you don’t get moving.”

Jeff fell back, startled. “Mrrrrrr?”

Gambit turned a flushed face to Blade, who was smirking amusingly.

“Ah’ll never get used ta dat,” he mumbled.

“Be glad he likes you.”

“Ah am.”

Mini Gambit toddled over to join them, looking quite comical as he maneuvered over the lumps and dips in the uneven ground.

“Isn’t that cute,” Blade remarked. He grinned at Gambit. “You’ve got a mini-self now.”

Mini Gambit glared up at the vampire hunter. He whipped out a card. “Ya trynna make somethin’ of it, mon ami? ‘Cause ah ain’t worn out from fightin’ yet.”

Blade held up his hands. “Sorry. I’ll leave you two alone.” He walked away, still grinning and shaking his head.

“An’ don’ call me cute!” Mini Gambit called after him. “Ah ain’t cute!” He turned his eyes up at Gambit and then looked at Thori. Mini Gambit bristled like he could take on Alioth himself…and win.

“Someone needs time-out,” Thori remarked.

“Ya trynna start somethin’ too?” Mini Gambit came at Thori.

Thori barked from between Gambit’s legs. “Spank you!”

“Ya jus’ try it!”

“Hey, hey! Dat enough.” Gambit used his foot to push Mini Gambit back. “Can’ remember ever havin’ an attitude like dat, but ah guess dat’s where variants are different.”

Mini Gambit huffed.

“‘C’mon, let’s go back home. Ah t’ink we all hungry and grumpy.”

“Ah ain’t grumpy!” Mini Gambit snapped.

“Den why ya got such a sourpuss on ya face?”

Mini Gambit stuck out his tongue.

“Ya keep bein’ rude like dat an’ ah jus’ might bend ta spankin’ myself.”

Mini Gambit’s eyes widened. “Wha??”

Gambit leaned over and picked up Mini Gambit.

“Hey! Leggo!” Mini Gambit kicked his legs. “Ah can walk by myself!”

“Okay.” Gambit put him back on the ground.

The little group slowly made their way back to the church, Jeff and Thori bounding ahead of them.

“Blubber butt!” Thori called out.

“Mrrrrrr!”

“Fish face!”

“Mrrrrrrr!”

“Seaweed brain!”

“Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!”

“Pirate slop!”

Jeff clamped his teeth down on his knife and ran after Thori.

“Ya ain’t wearin’ a diaper, are ya? Please say ya ain’t,” Gambit finally asked after a long silence had fallen between them.

Mini Gambit looked up. “Ya serious??”

“Jus’ askin’.”

“Of course not. Don’ be stupid. Why would ah be wearin’ a diaper?”

“Ah fought an Azazel variant recently who was dressed in nothin’ ‘cept a black diaper. He was mini-size like you. Jus’ makin’ sure dere ain’t a variant of me out dere wearin’ de same.”

Mini Gambit laughed.

There wasn’t much for dinner. No Eyes Loki and Blade cooked some Spam slices on an electric griddle and opened some canned vegetables to go with it. Since they had fresh bread at the moment, they served that along with it in case someone wanted to make a sandwich. Of course, President Loki complained as he always did. Gambit couldn’t blame him, as much as he hated admitting it.

“Wha’ ah wouldn’t give for a pizza righ’ now,” said Gambit. “Ah have me an envie for pizza.”

“That would be nice,” said No Eyes Loki. “But I’m just thankful we have food.”

“Always so positive and optimistic,” President Loki grumbled.

“We should be thankful. After all, there are people living in The Void who don’t have much or none at all. At least God was grateful and merciful to bless us with what we’ve been able to find.”

“You don’t even sound like a Loki,” President Loki sneered in disgust.

“We’re some of dem people,” Mini Gambit said sadly. “Me an’ Jeff, it hard for us ta find supplies, yah.”

“You’re welcome to stay here with us.” No Eyes Loki smiled.

“They can’t stay here. The more people who live here, the faster our supplies will be used up,” said President Loki.

“Says the one who was just complaining about the food…” said Blade from behind the bar counter.

“Shut up, mongrel.”

“Want me to bust your butt again?”

Fear washed over President Loki’s face and he shook his head.

“You’re welcome to stay here with us,” No Eyes Loki reassured Mini Gambit.

Mini Gambit smiled and nodded. “T’anks.”

“Ah could also go for some gumbo,” Gambit continued, changing the subject before another skirmish broke out. “Y’all ever had gumbo? Or jambalaya?”

Everyone but Mini Gambit shook their heads.

“Y’all dunno wha’ ya missin’.”

“I tried a few local dishes when I was in New Orleans, but I missed out on those,” said Blade.

“Now ya got me wantin’ some too,” said Mini Gambit sadly.

“Mrrrrrrr…” said Jeff from the floor.

“If only ah had me some andouille ah would whip us up some.”

“Andoo…what?” Child Loki said. “You mentioned those dishes when we were talking about southern foods, but you never said what was in them.”

“Andouille. It’s spicy sausage. We use it in gumbos and jambalaya and other dishes native to my culture.”

“Cajun culture, I presume,” said President Loki coldly.

“Yah.”

“What ARE you, anyway? You speak some disfigured form of French yet you speak southern.”

“Pretty much, yah. Ya never heard of Cajuns? We descendants of French Canadians from Acadia born in de American South.”

“So you’re a mixed bag like mongrel over there.”

“Hey, watch your tongue,” Blade warned.

“Non. Nothin’ like dat. Ah’m jus’ French Canadian descent who was born in de south. Sorta like Southern French, ah guess.”

“Maybe we can fix some of those dishes when we find fresh food from new stores,” Child Loki suggested.

“What’s the point?” President Loki griped. “It’s not like we can have it again.”

“No, but it will be a good change,” No Eyes Loki pointed out.

After, dinner, Gambit was glad to be able to sit down on his bed. The group decided not to play any games since everyone was exhausted from the battle and were all in favor of retiring to bed early. No Eyes Loki especially was still weak, which made Gambit concerned. The Loki had reassured him he was fine when he had asked again if he was okay.

Mini Gambit and Jeff were given one of the empty bedrooms that had belonged to one of their former clan members.

Once everyone was settled in, Gambit disappeared to his bedroom. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to sleeping as long as he wanted. The Void might be a horrific place, but one good thing it offered was no time and nothing you had to be in a hurry to do. If you wanted to sleep all day, you could. There were no alarm clocks that said you had to get up and go to work or school.

He pulled off his coat and set it aside and started removing his boots, which he was convinced had molded to him by now.

Thori walked in and jumped on the bed.

“If ya wanna sleep wit’ de child Loki tonight, ah don’ mind.”

“You sure?”

“Ouais. Ah don’ t’ink de President will try anythin’. He was dozin’ in his chair while we fixed up T-Gambit’s room. Somethin’ tell me he gon’ sleep tonight.” Gambit stood up and pulled off his shirt and chest armor.

“Okay. If you need Thori, just holler.” He walked forward and gave Gambit’s butt a light nip.

Gambit jerked, smiled, and scratched Thori around his head and ears. “T’ank ya.”

When the Cajun finished undressing, he picked up some clean boxers and a tank top along with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap, and a bottle of men’s shampoo.

“Ah t’ink it’s time for a bath,” he commented.

Thori wagged his tail.

“Wha? Ya lil’ perverted doggy mind wanna see me naked now?”

Thori laughed and gagged. “No. Don’t need that image in my head.”

Gambit walked down the hall to the bathroom, Thori at his heels. He stepped inside. At one time, the small room had been one of the church’s storage rooms. Blade and the Lokis had cleaned it out and converted it into a bathroom. A porta potty filled one corner, and a supply of water containers and packages of toilet paper occupied the corner next to it. A bathtub was pushed against one wall. Against the wall opposite was an old dresser with a plastic tub and bucket on top to serve as a sink. Next to it was a hamper and a crate full of salvaged soap and shampoo. Another box beside it was full of towels and wash clothes.

Gambit turned on the lamp setting on the dresser.

Immediately, Thori went straight to the toilet and drank out of it.

Gambit grimaced. “Ya gotta water bowl.”

“Not as good as this water. Thori love toilet water!”

“Ya nasty.” He held the door open for the hound to leave. “No hard feelin’s, but ah’d like privacy.”

“No offense taken. Thori still don’t want image of naked Baby Cajun in his head.” He scampered out into the hallway and shook himself before disappearing around the doorway to the living room.

Shaking his head, Gambit closed the door and proceeded to take a bath, as much as it pained him to sit in the tub. His rear was still sore from President Loki’s beating. But it felt good to wash since he hadn’t done so since his last shower at the TVA. He was beginning to reek even to himself, and his hair was starting to wilt and feel greasy. Like everyone else, he was allotted so much water since they had to ration it. The Cajun didn’t mind. He was already familiar with water rationing from his time spent on the streets and knew about collecting rainwater to bathe in. There had even been times when he went for long stretches without bathing.

Back in his bedroom, Gambit took some soap and water on a rag and washed his armor and cowl and whatever else he felt needed a brisk wash. With nothing on but his underwear and tank top, he put his cowl back on, deciding to sleep in this. He debated whether he should continue sleeping in his armor since life in The Void was proving to be more dangerous than living on the streets of New Orleans, but he was tired and wanted to be comfortable in bed for once. He figured having his cowl on would give him a head start if he had to dress in a hurry.

He turned out the light and rolled into bed and went right to sleep with his Miss Minutes pillow clutched tightly in his arms and a thumb in his mouth.

Chapter Text

When morning arrived, Thori pushed open the door to Gambit’s room and jumped on the bed. He let out a surprised whine and turned his head to the side. Gambit was still asleep on his stomach with a thumb in his mouth and the Miss Minutes-shaped pillow in the crook of his arm. The covers were partly pulled off him. But Thori’s eyes were fixed on the plump, shapely bottom in front of him and the fact Gambit was only wearing a thin pair of boxers instead of his fireproof pants. It left him with the difficult decision of whether to nip it or burn it.

Finally, the pup crept forward slowly, his tail stiff and shaky. He stopped, inhaled, and breathed out a burst of flames over Gambit’s rear. “Wake up, Baby Cajun!” he shouted.

“YOW!” Gambit flailed around and struggled to get up. Without his pants, Thori’s flames felt a lot warmer even though they still weren’t hot enough to burn or ignite. The sensation was comparable to a blast of hot air escaping from an open oven. “Ah’m up! Ah’m up! Woo, ah’m up!” He kicked off the blanket tangled around his leg and stood up. With hands on his backside, he turned to face Thori. “Why can’ ya wake me up like normal dogs? Lick ma face or somethin’.”

Thori grinned. “Why would I want to do something boring like that when you’ve given me such good target?”

Gambit scowled and pointed to his rear. “Dis ain’t no target!”

“Looks like one to me. Besides, you want me licking you after I drank from the toilet?”

Gambit grimaced. “Good point. But still… Woo! Dere gotta be ‘nother way.” He rubbed his backside briskly. “Ya wake everyone else like dis?”

“No. Just you. I tried with the President, but he throws things. Thori likes you because you scream good.”

“Yah, well, if ya ever ignite anythin’ back dere, I’mma do a lot more dan jus’ scream. Ah’ll get fache an’ wring ya lil’ scruffy neck.”

“Thori can’t understand half of what you say sometimes, but you’re funny, Baby Cajun. Also, challenge accepted.”

“Naaaah, don’ ya dare.”

Thori snickered. “Not to worry. Told you Thori like you. I save flaming pants for President.”

Gambit smiled at that.

“I need poopy pancakes, Baby Cajun!” Thori demanded.

“Ah dunno if dey’ll lemme use an’more supplies.”

“Thori want pancakes!” he yapped.

“We’ll see.” Gambit turned around to pick up his suit and boots.

Thori leaned forward and nipped his butt.

“Ow! Mais la!” With a scowl on his face, he looked at the pup. “Ah swear if ya don’ stop doin’ dat…”

Thori smiled in satisfaction.

“Are ya gonna refrain while ah get dressed?”

“Maybe…”

Gambit eyed him for a minute before slowly turning around. “So, how ya gettin’ ‘long wit’ Jeff?”

“Okay. He smells funny and slobbers a lot. It’s gross.”

“Says de pup who drinks toilet water.” Gambit put on his pants and began pulling on his boots.

“Jeff was drinking it too.”

“Oh, wha??” Gambit wrinkled his nose.

“I share.” Thori smiled.

“Ya taught him how?”

“Of course.”

“Ya nasty.”

“Baby Baby Cajun is amusing.”

“Ah’m still trynna wrap my head ‘round dat one. Ah didn’t t’ink ah’d meet any of my variants here. It strange feelin’.” He looked at Thori. “Have ya met any of yours?”

“No. Thori only one.”

“Not accordin’ to da TVA.” He stood up and put on his shirt and chest armor.

Thori nipped his bottom again.

“Yow! Hey, heyyy.” He waved the pup away and brushed his hand over the pinched area. “Ya gettin’ ta be mighty cheeky.”

Thori snickered. “I’m sure you’ve had women do a lot worse.”

Gambit paused in the middle of adjusting his cowl, his eyebrow arching. “Wha’ ya mean by dat?

“It’s quite obvious you’re a ladies’ man.”

“Ouais, ah am, mais ah never had a woman pinch my bum before.” Gambit smirked. “Not yet, anyway.”

“That’s a surprise.”

Gambit glanced at Thori then he put on his coat. “Ah t’ink it best ah don’ comment on dat further.”

“You gonna make pancakes?”

“Jus’ depends if dey let me use dere supplies.”

“You better or else…”

Thori walked forward to nip Gambit’s butt again, but the Cajun reached out and clamped a hand over the pup’s muzzle. “Naaah, ya ain’t doin’ dat again.” Thori snorted warm flames into his palm, and Gambit jerked his hand away and flapped it. “Ya jus’ gotta be a lil’ cussed, don’ ya?”

“I will be until you give me pancakes.”

Gambit shook his head and put on his gloves and coat. “Ya spoilt, dat wha’ ya are.”

“So, you gonna make pancakes?”

“Ah’ll ask. Dat’s all ah can do.”

When Gambit finished dressing, he made a stop at the bathroom while Thori waited outside. Then together they walked into the living room.

“Mrrrrr!” Jeff said from his kiddie pool the second they stepped through the doorway. He wagged his tail and sloshed out some of the water.

“Hey!” Child Loki bounded over to Gambit. “We’re gonna take a trip to the store again so the little Gambit can gather supplies. Wanna come along?”

“Yah, sure.”

Thori tugged at his coattails.

“Uh… S’okay if ah make pancakes again ‘fore we go? Thori wants pancakes.”

“Of course it’s not okay!” President Loki blurted out. “It’ll use more of our supplies.”

Thori growled at him.

“And don’t get smart with me, you little mutt.” President Loki fixed his eyes on Thori and pointed a figure at him.

Thori snarled and yapped. “Eat dirt, nasty president!”

“It’s okay,” No Eyes Loki said calmly. “I don’t think it would hurt just this once.”

“But, he wants to make pancakes for a dog!”

“Thori Hel-Hound! Dirty President is a dog!”

“Ah wanna make ‘em for all of us!” Gambit corrected with a scowl. “Thori, he jus’ requested dem, yah. ‘Sides, he gotta eat same as us.”

“I’m not in the mood for this today,” Blade groaned from the recliner next to the door. “Make the pancakes. I could go for some myself, along with a cup of coffee. And if I hear anymore lip from the President, I’m liable to become violent.” He put a hand on his forehead. “Stayed up all night wracking my brain, trying to figure out where Dracula could be hiding.”

Gambit threw an uneasy glance in the vampire hunter’s direction. Should he tell Blade what he saw?

“Come on! I’ll help you make them!” Child Loki bounced excitedly and grabbed his hand, interrupting his thoughts.

Gambit smiled. “Ya got any chocolate chips?”

“Chocolate chips? For pancakes?”

“Sure. Ya never had chocolate chip pancakes?”

Child Loki shook his head.

“We needa fix dat.”

The chocolate chip pancakes were an even bigger hit than the regular ones. So much so that Gambit ended up making a second batch. Even President Loki admitted they were good, and the Cajun thought that was something. Mini Gambit and Jeff practically inhaled them. Jeff ate his plate along with them and even tried to eat Thori’s but the Hel-Hound snapped at him.

When breakfast was over, Child Loki led the way to the Roxxcart again while pulling his wagon behind him. It was noisy and rough riding, but as long as they stayed on the cleared path, there was no danger of stray debris blocking the wheels. Thori trotted along behind the wagon, carrying his happy face ball in his mouth with his tongue lolling out the side. Mini Gambit rode on Jeff. Most of the time, they kept pace beside Gambit. Occasionally, Jeff got a wild spurt and darted forward suddenly, running after a bug or something. It always took Mini Gambit a few minutes to get the shark under control again.

“Fetch!” said Thori, proffering his ball.

Gambit took it and threw it, and Thori ran after it. It bounced and kept bouncing and bounced off the side of a car. The Cajun glanced at his surroundings as they walked, staying alert for anything that looked like a time door or an ominous man in red and black armor. He secretly hoped something would show, if not for anything else but to reassure himself that he hadn’t been seeing things. He knew he wasn’t crazy, though. What he saw actually did happen. He could describe the man down to his glowing red eyes. Still, he doubted himself. He could have been seeing things brought on by battle fatigue. Then again, the image of the man walking through the time door flashed through his mind as clearly as he saw Child Loki walking in front of him.

Thori brought the ball back, and Gambit took it and threw it again. Thori went after it, soaring over mounds of crumbling buildings to find it. Jeff wanted to join in on the game, but Mini Gambit kept him in place.

“Ah can’ get used ta seein’ a shark walkin’,” Gambit finally said. “Wanna say it weird, but then it ain’t no more weird dan everythin’ else ah been through an’ seen.”

“Ya jus’ arrive here?” Mini Gambit asked.

“A few days ago, yah. Den again, ah assume it’s days. Migh’ be longer for all ah know.”

“Ah been here long time—or it feel dat way.”

“Wha’ were ya pruned for?”

“Bit de wrong person…”

Gambit wasn’t sure he heard right. “Wha?”

Mini Gambit’s face grew dark. “Ah bit de wrong person in a fight.”

Gambit didn’t bother to comment on that.

“Wha ‘bout you? Why were you taken out?”

“Ah was gonna join de X-Men.”

Mini Gambit looked up at him. “Dey took ya out for dat?”

“Apparently ah not supposed ta join dem.”

“Dat’s harsh.”

“They took me out for saving my brother’s life,” Child Loki put in. “They don’t like anyone doing good.”

“Ah guess dis mean ya gonna take de eyeless Loki’s offer an’ stay wit’ us?” Gambit asked.

“Yah,” Mini Gambit replied “Your shelter much better dan de cave we had before de monsters drove us outta it.”

“Cave? Ya been livin’ in a cave?”

“Yah. It a small cave in de side of a mountain. Not much room. It been hard findin’ supplies too.”

“‘S it jus’ you an’ Jeff?”

Mini Gambit nodded and rubbed Jeff’s back. “We a team, yah.”

“Mrrrrr!”

“Migh’ wanna be careful of Thori. He’ll burn ya butt.”

Mini Gambit arched an eyebrow.

“It don’ hurt. If he likes ya, it don’ hurt.”

“It’s his way of showing affection,” Child Loki explained.

“An’ wha’ if he don’ like me?”

“Ah ain’t goin’ dere.”

Thori walked up with his ball in his mouth, tongue hanging out the side. He gave the ball to Gambit. “Don’t worry, baby Baby Cajun. Thori like you. You’re cute.”

Mini Gambit scowled and wrinkled his nose. “Ah ain’t cute! An’ why ya keep callin’ me baby Baby Cajun?”

Thori looked up at Gambit. “Because he’s Baby Cajun. You’re small so that means you’re baby Baby Cajun.”

Mini Gambit looked bewildered. “Dat make even less sense.”

“Don’ worry, he mean nothin’ by it. It uh…inside joke.” Gambit’s cheeks turned the slightest red.

“Thori won’t really burn you. Just warm you. Love warms. It feels like warm air.” Thori looked at Gambit. “He’ll spank you, though.”

Mini Gambit looked up with concern in his dark eyes. “Ya threatened ta do dat to me last night.”

“Ah…er… ‘Cause ya was bein’ rude.”

“Ya ain’t gonna do it for real.”

“An’ why’s dat?” Gambit frowned.

“‘Cause ya ain’t got it in ya.”

“He already spanked the President,” said Thori as he laughed. “Better watch it.”

Mini Gambit looked up at Gambit again. “Really?”

“‘Cause he was bein’ rude, too, an’ a brat.”

“So… Would ya really spank me?”

“Maybe. If ya gave me good ‘nough reason to.”

“But ah’m you!”

Gambit shrugged. “Ah admit de thought of it is weird, but if ya force me to, ah will.”

“Mrrrr??”

“Ah ain’t gonna spank you, Jeff, if dat’s what ya askin’.”

The shark looked relieved.

Child Loki laughed. “Your conversation is very amusing.”

“Ah’m havin’ hard time believin’ ah’m havin’ dis conversation.”

“Wha’s dat supposed ta mean?”

“Means ah’m not used ta havin’ a conversation wit’ myself—or some pint-sized version of me.”

Mini Gambit stuck out his tongue.

“Now, ya see?” Gambit applied a gentle pat to the back of Mini Gambit’s head. “Ya keep bein’ rude like dat, an’ ah will whup ya lil’ butt.”

“Hey!” Mini Gambit scowled and leaned away while keeping a firm grip on Jeff’s dorsal fin.

“Ah mean it. Ya a Gambit. Ya needa act more dignified.”

“Since when are we dignified? We a couple of orphaned swamp rats which grew up on de streets an’ in de bayou.”

“We can still be dignified.”

“In dis place??” Mini Gambit gestured around them.

Gambit sighed. “Jus’ don’ act rude. It ain’t nice.”

“Ah act whatever way ah wanna act, mon ami.”

Gambit reached for him, but Mini Gambit spurred Jeff forward and they ran ahead of Child Loki, well out of reach.

“Ya jus’ wait till ah get my hands on ya,” Gambit mumbled.

When they arrived at the store, Mini Gambit slid off Jeff’s back…right into Gambit’s hands.

“Gotcha!”

“Hey, wha?”

Gambit quickly upended the mini version of himself over his knee and applied several swats to the little wriggling bottom.

“OW! Wha ya doin’??” Mini Gambit shouted as he kicked and flailed.

“Mrrrrr??” Jeff backed away, watching the scene with worried eyes.

“Das for bein’ rude.”

Mini Gambit bit Gambit’s leg.

“OW! Why ya lil’…” He brought his hand down harder and applied three more swats.

“Owwww!” Mini Gambit wailed.

“An’ dat one’s for bitin’!” Gambit put Mini Gambit down on his feet.

Mini Gambit stumbled back, his hands rubbing his rear. He sniffled. “Ya mean!”

“Yah, well, ya de one who started it.”

Thori walked up and licked Mini Gambit’s face.

“Guys, we need to be as quiet as we can,” said Child Loki. “Alioth might be nearby.”

Gambit nodded.

Turning, Mini Gambit peered up at the crumbling heap in front of him, taken back by the enormity of it.

Thori and Jeff bounded forward through the front doors.

“Thori show you where chew toys are!” said the pup.

“Mrrrrr!” said Jeff as he ran behind the Hel-Hound.

“Ah ain’t neva seen a whole store ‘fore,” said Mini Gambit as he marveled over the sight.

“You haven’t? Then…where have you been getting your supplies?” Child Loki asked.

“Like ah said, it been hard findin’ supplies. We did find some food in a restaurant dat was dropped near our cave. ‘Side from dat, it been hard. Jus’ a lil’ bit here an’ lil’ bit dere, mostly whatever’s left from others raidin’ it. If it weren’t for…” Mini Gambit stopped.

“Weren’t for what?”

“Nothin’.” Mini Gambit walked forward, his hands still nursing his bottom. “It ain’t nothin’.”

“Ya needa be careful in here. Dere’s loose floorin’ near de back,” said Gambit.

Mini Gambit nodded.

When they entered the building, Gambit and Child Loki showed Mini Gambit where the best stuff was located and also warned him where the dangerous areas were.

Gambit rummaged around while he waited for Mini Gambit and Jeff to find the supplies they needed. He brought along some bags just in case he found more stuff, which he did. He picked up more books, some bags of chips, and more packs of playing cards. He also grabbed extras of things he already had since it wouldn’t hurt to have a supply, like sheets, blankets, and pillows. He nudged a TV with his foot and thought how nice it would be to have it. He briefly wondered if he could get it working since they had electricity at the church. If he found a DVD player and some DVDs, they could have a movie night easily enough.

Jeff and Thori were in the process of making a toy pile as they walked back and forth, depositing chew toys and squeaky toys from the pet aisle. Child Loki added a couple of pet beds to the pile along with food bowls and then started bagging everything.

“I found a plastic pool for Jeff,” said Child Loki. “But neither I nor little Gambit can lift it.”

“Ah’ll carry it back for ya.” Gambit helped Mini Gambit find what he needed and grabbed up whatever he wanted to put in his bags.

With Gambit’s help, Child Loki loaded a new microwave onto his wagon next to the bags.

“We got lotta stuff. Ya sure we gon’ be able ta carry it back?” Gambit asked.

“Sure! No problem,” said Child Loki. “Just load it on the wagon.”

Gambit shrugged and continued filling his own bags. He paused as he watched Jeff walk by with three or four knives hanging out of his mouth.

“Hey, guys!” Child Loki called out suddenly. “Listen!”

Everyone grew still as they listened.

There was a loud screech in the distance.

“Alioth!” Mini Gambit squeaked. He shuddered and walked over to stand between Gambit’s legs.

“He sounds far off, but he’s nearby,” said Child Loki.

“We better hurry an’ get outta here,” said Gambit.

And hurry they did. Since Child Loki and Gambit had been here before, they knew their way around. With Mini Gambit’s guidance, they each took turns helping the little Cajun acquire the rest of what he needed. Soon his bags were bulging and had to fit inside the wagon since he couldn’t carry them himself. When everything was securely loaded onto the wagon, it was heavy and difficult for Child Loki to pull it, so Gambit had to pull it while carrying the kiddie pool.

“Ya migh’ wanna hold on to dat stuff dere. It gonna get bumpy,” said Gambit as he wheeled the wagon through the door. Child Loki moved in place beside the wagon and held on to the items in it.

Just as they walked out onto the main path, there was a deafening, bloodcurdling screech directly behind them. Everyone snapped their heads around to see Alioth coming up fast. The creature opened his glowing red mouth and fixed them with equally red eyes.

“He seen us!”

“How he get here so fast??” Mini Gambit squeaked out. “An’ how he know we here??”

“Who cares? Get to the shelter!” Child Loki cried.

“Dere ain’t no time! He’ll eat us ‘fore we get dere! Can’t ya open a portal wit’ ya magic?”

“I’ll try!” Child Loki concentrated, which was hard to do when the dark image of Alioth loomed near them. He let out another piercing screech that made the little Loki jump and glance over his shoulder. Quickly, he pulled himself together and waved his hand. Instantly, a greenish-black portal appeared in front of them.

Everyone ran toward it.

“Hey! Short legs here, mon ami! Ah can’ run fast!” Mini Gambit yelled.

Gambit leaned over and snatched Mini Gambit by the back of his coat and slung him up to sit on his shoulder. Mini Gambit grabbed hold of Gambit’s coat collar and hung on.

“Thori hold him off!” The Hel-Hound stopped to growl and bark at Alioth. “Stay away, filthy beast. I kill you!”

“Hey, Hound of de Baskervilles! Ya fou??” Gambit shouted. “Git ya tail over here!”

The pup wasn’t going to budge, which forced Child Loki to run back and snatch him up with him still barking his head off.

“Go, go, go, go, go, go!” cried Gambit.

Child Loki ran past him with a barking Thori in his arms.

Just as Gambit stepped through the portal, leading up the rear, he took one last glance behind him and saw that green man with flowing white hair again. He was standing on top of one of the nearby buildings, watching as Alioth swooped down on top of them.

The portal closed just as Alioth swept over the area. The creature let out a frustrated screech.

Gambit and everyone came out on the other side in front of their church shelter, taking Blade and No Eyes Loki by surprise.

“Alioth after us!” Gambit gasped out.

Blade and No Eyes Loki were on their feet.

“Everyone inside,” Blade ordered. “Stay quiet and alert.”

No Eyes Loki helped them get their supplies inside by using his magic to levitate them.

“Where’s the President?” Blade asked.

“I think he’s already inside,” No Eyes Loki answered.

“Locate him.” Blade peered across the field. He could see Alioth’s massive dark form in the distance. Since Gambit and Child Loki used a portal to escape, hopefully, he wouldn’t know to follow them to the church. Just the same, though, Blade ushered everyone inside until the threat was over. Everyone gathered in the living room along with the kiddie pool and other supplies Child Loki, Mini Gambit, and Gambit had brought back with them.

Just as No Eyes Loki turned to look for President Loki, President Loki came out of the bedrooms to meet them.

“I was just going to look for you,” No Eyes Loki said.

“What’s going on?” President Loki demanded. His eyes swept over the full wagon and the bags Gambit had unloaded.

“Alioth’s been spotted,” No Eyes Loki answered as he helped Child Loki and Gambit move supplies out of the way. “We’re to stay inside the building until the threat goes away.”

Gambit took Mini Gambit off his shoulder and put him down on the floor, ruffling his hair. “Dere ya go, mon frère.”

Mini Gambit smiled up at him.

Gambit threw the pool into a corner. Jeff ran over and jumped inside it with Thori doing the same.

“What happened this time?” President Loki growled. He fixed Gambit with a hard glare. “Did you blow up something again to signal the beast?”

“Ah ain’t done no such thin’!” the Cajun shouted back in defense.

“That’s enough, you two!” Blade snapped. “I told you to be quiet.”

President Loki lowered his voice and kept on. “I know you did something!”

“Ah did not! Why ya always gotta be blamin’ someone? No one did anythin’! He jus’ appeared soon’s we left de buildin’.”

“What part of ‘stay quiet’ do you not understand?”

“I know you did something! You’ve been determined to kill us all since you arrived here!”

“Ah have not! Why ah wanna do dat??”

“Next person who makes a sound is going over my knee, kapish?” Blade warned.

President Loki and Gambit turned worried eyes to him and then glared at each other.

President Loki shut up and backed away after Blade threw out his threat. Gambit followed the trickster with his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. He had a feeling he knew how Alioth found them. His thoughts drifted to the mysterious man. Had he signaled Alioth to their location? Had he been trying to kill them deliberately? If so, then what was stopping him from bringing Alioth down on the church? That unnerving thought lingered in his mind.

“Everyone stay quiet. Alioth’s on the move,” Blade whispered as he watched from the door.

Mini Gambit hunkered between Gambit’s legs.

“Mrrrr?” Jeff whined. He threw a concerned look up at the men.

“Vampire man said to stay quiet,” Thori whispered.

Ten long, tense minutes passed before Blade finally gave the all-clear. “He’s moving off in the other direction and moving higher into the sky.”

Just when it felt free to move around again, everyone was taken by surprise when Blade pulled out a large knife and walked toward President Loki, his lips pulled tight.

“Blade, wha’ ya doin’??” Gambit cried out, his eyes flitting between the man and the knife he carried.

“N-n-now, wait just a minute…” President Loki backed away, holding out his hands in front of him. “You’re not going to do this again!”

Without saying a word, Blade reached out, grabbed President Loki by the arm, and jerked him forward. He brought the flat side of the knife’s blade down with a crisp POP across President Loki’s backside.

“OW!” President Loki yelped and stood with his mouth hanging open. “What did I do??”

Blade turned and fixed his eyes on Gambit.

Gambit’s eyes widened. “Wait, mon ami! Wha…??” Before he could say anything else, Blade grabbed his arm and jerked him forward and brought the knife’s blade down with a brisk POP across his backside too. “Yow!” Gambit sidestepped and turned his rear away. He threw an embarrassed glance at the others as he slowly put his hands behind him to rub out the sting.

“That’s for earlier when I told you two to be quiet. Maybe now you’ll take me seriously when I tell you to do something.”

“Yessir,” Gambit mumbled, his face burning up to his ears. Try as he might, he couldn’t look the other man in the face so he lowered his gaze to the floor instead. Mini Gambit peered up at him from between his feet. The confusion on the little Cajun’s face told him he wasn’t sure what to think of this new turn of events.

“How dare you strike me like that!” President Loki spat venomously. “It’s bad enough that you spanked me once before, but to do it agai—”

“Excuse me?” Blade lifted his eyebrows, cutting off the trickster mid-sentence.

“Ah wouldn’t, mon ami…”

“Shut up!” President Loki snapped at Gambit. “This doesn’t concern you!”

Before everyone knew what was happening, Blade grabbed President Loki, forced him into a headlock, and dragged him, screaming and cursing, to the couch.

“UNHAND ME, MONGREL!” he shouted. “I refuse to be manhandled and beaten by a ninety-five-year-old half-breed mortal!”

Here Blade plopped down and threw the trickster over his lap.

“I SAID UNHAND ME!” President Loki cried out as he kicked his legs. “DON’T YOU DARE STRIKE ME, YOU…YOU…FILTHY FANG-FACED MUTT!”

Blade worked to restrain the flailing man, still not saying a word.

Child Loki slowly walked over to stand beside No Eyes Loki, not taking his eyes off the scene. Mini Gambit watched everything in silence from between Gambit’s legs while Thori and Jeff watched from their place in the pool. Thori wagged his tail happily.

“I’m tired of your attitude,” Blade finally said as he brought his knife down with another POP across the seat of President Loki’s pants.

“OWW!” President Loki screamed out and bucked. “THAT HURTS, YOU PATHETIC MORTAL!!”

“You’re gonna learn something right here and now.” Blade brought it down again, a little lower.

“YOWW!”

“I’m tired of you constantly disrupting the peace around here.”

POP!

“Owwwwww!”

Blade fell into a steady rhythm as he proceeded to spank President Loki with his knife in front of everyone. The room was quickly filled with the sounds of Blade spanking the trickster’s backside and the trickster’s cries of pain and protest. The vampire hunter brought the knife down with brute force on President Loki’s butt, down his thighs, and back again while at the same time taking care not to permanently harm the god.

“Owwww! Pleeeease stop!” President Loki mewled pitifully.

“Are you gonna straighten up and act like you’ve got some sense?”

President Loki nodded vigorously.

“I doubt that, but I’ll still go along with it.” Blade applied more swats. When he decided President Loki had had enough, he stopped and allowed the bawling trickster to stand.

President Loki wasted no time running from the room, his hands tucked behind him.

Blade turned on Gambit.

Gambit’s eyes widened and he held up his hands. “Ah’m sorry! Honest!”

“Gambit.”

“Oui?” Gambit eyed the knife.

“Come here.”

Quickly, Gambit walked over and stood in front of Blade. His stomach tightened into a knot and a prickly feeling inched down his spine and swept over his bottom as he stared down at the other man as if he were a little kid.

The vampire hunter regarded him for a few minutes and then brought the blade of his knife across Gambit’s backside two times in quick succession. He pointed a finger at the Cajun. “That was a warning.”

“Y-yessir.” Gambit stiffened and swallowed.

Blade moved him out of the way, stood up, and sheathed his knife. Lowering his voice, he said, “I’m gonna go easy on you this once since you’ve already been through enough, but don’t test my patience again, understand?”

Gambit nodded. “Yessir.”

Blade patted Gambit’s shoulder and walked over to stand in the front doorway.

Gambit released the breath he’d been holding and put his trembling hands in his pockets. His backside was stinging from the swats, but he considered himself fortunate. Unlike poor President Loki… He glanced behind him at the doorway to the bedrooms, imagining President Loki was probably crying in his room.

Dinner went by without interruption. It was quieter this time as everyone’s mind was still on the incident that happened between Blade and President Loki. The Loki in question hadn’t come out of his room, so they ate without him. No Eyes Loki took some food to the humiliated god after they finished.

After the new supplies had been put away and the household had settled down for the night, Gambit reclined on his bed with one hand in a bag of Cheetos while the other held the tempad he’d stolen from the TVA. Okay, not exactly stolen. Miss Minutes had looked the other way while he pocketed it. It was more of a gift…that he took. His thoughts were preoccupied with many things as he slowly munched on Cheetos. Mostly he thought about the mysterious man he saw, twice now, and whether he should tell Blade and the others. His thoughts drifted to the warning swats Blade had given him earlier, and a cold chill inched down his back. He never counted on Blade using spanking on him, but he gave a clear warning he wasn’t opposed to doing it. Gambit swallowed.

“If Blade finds out ah’ve been holdin’ back information, he’ll spank me for sure,” he said aloud.

“What?” Thori looked at him.

Realizing what he’d said, Gambit cleared his throat. “Nothin’. Jus’ t’inkin’ out loud.”

“Watching him spank the President was amusing,” said Thori.

“Ah suppose him givin’ me swats was amusin’ too?”

“Of course.”

Gambit shoved the pup gently with his foot. He sighed and turned his eyes to the tempad again while putting a few Cheetos in his mouth. He would tell Blade in time, but he needed answers first, and there was only one person he knew could give him answers. He stared at the tempad and contemplated his next decision. He flicked a Cheeto to Thori, who snapped it up.

“Can you make cheesies go boom?” the Hel-Hound asked.

“Sure.” Gambit charged a Cheeto and threw it out into the middle of the room where it snapped like a firecracker. He threw another one, and Thori flew off the bed excitedly.

“Exploding cheesies! Yeaaaaaah!” Thori caught one in his mouth and the cheese curl snapped. “Explosive cheesy!”

“Mrrrrr?” Jeff said as he pushed open the door and looked curiously at what was going on.

“Jeff! Come and look! Exploding cheesies!” Thori caught another one in his mouth, enjoying the feel of the mini-explosion. The flames from his mouth flared.

Gambit threw a charged Cheeto at Jeff. It snapped inches from his foot, startling him. The shark jumped and scrambled back into the hallway.

“Mrrrrrr??”

Gambit chuckled. “It okay, Jeff. Ya don’ hafta eat explodin’ ones if ya don’ wanna.” He threw a non-charged Cheeto at the shark, who slurped it up with his big tongue.

“Mrrrrrraar!”

The Cajun had a lot of questions swirling through his mind while he traced Miss Minutes’ button with his thumb. The only way to get the answers he needed was from an outside source, but would it work here in The Void? Would she appear?

There was only one way to find out. He pressed the button.

Instantly, Miss Minutes blinked into existence over him.

“Hey, y’all!” She looked around her, puzzled, and then looked behind her. “Remy!”

“Hey, petite,” said Gambit softly with a shy smile. He held up his bag of Cheetos. “Cheeto?”

Miss Minutes shook her head as she floated closer to him. “Whut are ya doin’?”

Thori’s head perked up when he saw the clock hovering over the bed, and he started barking.

“Hush, Thori!” said Gambit. “Miss Minutes, she a friend.”

“Creepy little glowing clock. Thori do you a murder!” He jumped on the bed and leaped into the air, trying to bite Miss Minutes.

“Whoa! Take it easy!” she said as she flew closer to the ceiling.

“Mrrr!” Jeff ran into the room and attempted climbing on the bed, his eyes also trained on the clock, but his awkward build and clawless feet made it impossible. He slid backward and plopped on the floor, taking a blanket with him. “Mrrrrr!!!”

Thori barked and snarled loudly.

“Easy…jus’…take it easy…” said Miss Minutes. She moved into the corner over the bed.

Thori leaped at her, only to land on top of Gambit.

“OW!” He pushed the pup away. “Git offa me! Fou mutt!”

Miss Minutes darted to the other side of the room. Thori leaped from the bed and scrambled across the floor, never ceasing his barking as he followed the clock. Jeff ran along with him while making a weird ‘barking’ sound as if mimicking Thori.

“Ah ain’t gonna hurt no one!” Miss Minutes cried out as she made sure to keep close to the ceiling. “Remy!”

“Thori! Jeff! Leave her alone now.”

Thori and Jeff didn’t hear him. The Hel-Hound climbed up some of Gambit’s supplies as if he could reach the clock. His foot slipped and he tumbled and tipped over a box full of shampoo bottles.

“Mrrrr?!” Jeff jumped back and bumped into a stack of boxes, toppling them and spilling their contents.

“Stop it, you two!” Gambit scolded. “Ya makin’ a mess!”

Miss Minutes flew to another corner, Jeff following her.

Thori was on his feet again and skittering across the room. “Nasty clock! Murder you!”

“Okay, dat’s enough of dis!” Gambit scooped up Thori in one hand as he ran by and grabbed Jeff by his dorsal fin. He took both animals and put them outside in the hallway and shut the door. “Sorry ‘bout dat.” He waved at the overturned boxes. “Ah’ll clean dat up later.”

Cautiously, Miss Minutes floated down to be at eye level again. “Remy, whut are ya doin’ summonin’ me here?” she asked.

Gambit remained quiet as he sat down on the bed again.

“Remy?”

“Ah…ah had some questions ta ask ya.”

“Is that tha only reason?”

Gambit’s gaze fell to the tempad as he fingered it. Finally, he answered, “Yah…”

Miss Minutes put her hands on her hips.

Gambit gave her a sheepish smile.

“Ya naughty boy.” The clock waggled her finger at him. “Ah can tell when yer not tellin’ tha truth.”

“Ah’m tellin’ de truth!”

“Remy…”

“Okay! Okay! Ah missed ya, petite,” he whined almost tearfully. “Ah wanted ta see ya, too.”

The frown on Miss Minutes’ face melted into a smile. “Ah missed ya too, sweetheart.” She ran her hand over his hair. “But ya shouldn’t have brought me here. Ah gave ya tha tempad in case ya decided ta come back to tha TVA.”

“Ah know, but…”

“Ya can’t jus’ summon me whenever ya want,” she said softly. “Some things…” She stopped and forced a sad smile. “It’s good ta see ya again, Remy,” she whispered as she continued smoothing and rubbing his hair. Gambit leaned into her hand and soaked up the attention. The clock pulled back. “So, whut didja wanna ask me?”

For the briefest second, Gambit looked annoyed that she stopped with the pets, but he quickly straightened up. “Ah know dis gon’ sound strange, mais do ya have a Dracula variant workin’ at de TVA?”

Miss Minutes didn’t answer right away as she regarded him curiously. “Why do ya need ta know?”

“Ah jus’ needa.”

Miss Minutes stared at him in silence, waiting for a better explanation.

Gambit lifted his hands. “Somethin’s come up, an’ ah needa know. Dat’s all.”

“Yeah, we do, but he’s had his memories erased.”

“Ah ain’t sure ‘bout dat.”

“Whut do ya mean?”

Gambit told Miss Minutes everything that had happened since he arrived in The Void—the Commandoes attacking, Dracula, Blade trying to find the vampire’s lair, and the guy he saw after the battle and how he had disappeared through a time door.

“That’s impossible.” Worry washed over Miss Minutes’ face. “Tempads can’t open up time doors to tha Void. There ain’t nothin’ for them ta lock onto here since there’s no time. They can take ya out but not bring ya in.”

“Dat’s wha’ ah thought, but dem time stick queque choses can send ya here, right? –dem t’ings dey prune ya wit’?”

“That’s different than uh tempad.”

“Could he have altered one ta open both ways?”

“It’s possible…” Miss Minutes mused. “Have ya told Blade an’ tha others ‘bout that guy ya saw?”

Gambit shook his head, his cheeks flushing a hint of pink. “Not yet, no.”

“Remy, are ya sure that’s wise?”

“W-wha’ ya mean?”

“Keepin’ somethin’ like that from yer teammates.”

Gambit moved restlessly. “Ah was sorta wantin’ answers first.” He leaned forward. “Can ya find Dracula at de TVA?”

“Well, yeah, sure. But if it’s true that he’s got his memories back, it might be harder than we think. Dracula is uh shapeshifter. He could be anyone at tha TVA.”

Miss Minutes and Gambit held each other’s gaze for a few minutes as that bit of info sunk in.

“Shapeshifters are a world o’ trouble,” Gambit mumbled.

Miss Minutes smiled. “Ah’ll see whut ah can do.”

The clock was about to disappear when Gambit stopped her. “Please, don’ go,” he whined. “Ah’m lonely, petite.”

Miss Minutes regarded him with concern. “Lonely? How can ya be lonely? Looks like ya got quite tha chaotic family here.” She glanced toward the door as if expecting to see Thori and Jeff breaking it down.

Gambit shrugged. “Ah’m still lonely. Ah miss your company.”

“Whut about yer new friends?”

He shrugged again. “Dey okay. Child Loki, Eyeless Loki, an’ Blade, dey nice. Thori, he nice, too, even though he has weird way of showin’ affection. Jeff’s cute. An’ T-Gambit is a bit rude but nice. Although, it weird ta see a variant of me.”

“Ya found another Gambit?” Miss Minutes giggled.

“Ah did, yah.” Gambit cleared his throat. “A…lil’ Gambit…like dat lil’ Azazel…”

“Awwwwwww! He must be adorable!” Miss Minutes almost squealed. “Is he as cute as you?”

Gambit smiled, his cheeks turning red. “Ah ain’t gonna answer dat.”

“Can ah see him?”

“He sleepin’.”

“Aw, okay.” Miss Minutes rolled her eyes. “Sooo, you’ve hooked up with Lokis, huh?”

“No offense ta Mobius, mais Loki not all dat grand. De President Loki, who also part of dis group, he mean ta me.”

“Mean to ya?” Miss Minutes’ face grew concerned. “How is he mean to ya?”

Gambit looked down at his lap.

“Remy, are ya okay? Whut’s Loki done?”

Gambit still didn’t respond.

“How is tha President Loki mean to ya, Remy?”

“He a bully. He taunts me an’ harasses me an’ he spanked me for no reason but jus’ ta be mean.”

“Spanked ya fer no reason?” Miss Minutes looked him up and down, her face showing alarm.

Gambit blushed. “It ain’t spankin’. It beatin’.”

“He beat ya?!?”

Gambit heaved a big sigh. “Ah spanked him for actin’ like a brat an’ threatenin’ everyone, den he spanked me out of revenge. Only de way he spanks…it ain’t spankin’. He abusive. Ah had bruises and bleedin’ gashes after he got through. Dat ain’t de way a spankin’ supposed ta be.”

“Oh, Remy…” Miss Minutes flew closer to him, her sorrowful eyes looking him over. She stretched her hands out to him. “Are ya okay now, hun?” Concern laced the clock’s voice.

“Ah still sore.” Gambit slid a hand under him. “But it’s better dan it was. My healin’ factor has taken care most of it. De bruises are still smartin’, though.”

“Why didn’t ya fight back?”

“Ah tried, but he overpowered me, ‘shamed ta say. Ah was ‘fraid he’d tear my arm off.”

“But, ya shoulda let him have it afterward.”

Gambit shook his head. “Ah don’ wanna fight him. We supposed ta be allies.”

“Ah understand that, hun, but there ain’t nothin’ wrong with standin’ up fer yourself.”

“Ah agree wit’ dat, petite, but…” Gambit sighed.

“But what?”

“Ah don’ wanna be like him.”

“Standin’ up fer yourself wouldn’t make ya like him.”

“It would if ah did de t’ings ta him ah wanna do!” said Gambit coldly.

“Why don’t ya?”

Gambit turned a puzzled look to her. “Petite?”

Miss Minutes cleared her throat. “Never mind.”

Gambit sniffed back a few tears. Softly he said, “Ah’m sorry, petite.”

The clock smiled gently. “Do…do ya mind if ah have a look at tha damage? Ah mean, if it’s very bad, ah might need ta take ya to tha TVA doctor.”

Gambit hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. It wasn’t just because Miss Minutes mentioned something about taking him to see a doctor but because of the nature of her question. He felt like he trusted the clock well enough to allow her a peek, so he stood up, turned around, and pulled down his pants, brushing aside his coattails and holding them.

Miss Minutes tugged down his underwear gently and cringed when she saw the bluish-purple skin underneath that was lined with healing gashes. “Oh hun…”

“It bad, yah?”

“It’s pretty bad.” Miss Minutes pulled his underwear down lower, revealing more bruises and gashes. She was amazed the Cajun could sit down. “Ah’m sure it’ll completely heal in time, but ah might need ta take ya to see tha doctor.”

“N-n-non, please!” Gambit whimpered.

“Remy, it’s okay. Tha doctor ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

Gambit shook his head and retreated into his coat. “Ah’m fine. It don’ hurt much. Ah said my healin’ factor done took care of it.”

Miss Minutes forced a smile. She skritched his butt cheek playfully.

Gambit giggled and squirmed. “Hey now! Don’ ya go gettin’ cheeky back dere, cher.” His cheeks reddened.

“Hard not to when ya got a heinie this cute,” she teased. She pulled his underwear up and patted his bottom gently. “Poor lil’ heinie.”

Gambit pulled his britches up and turned around, a wide grin on his flushed face. “Don’ ya go tellin’ no one ah allowed ya to do dat.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” The clock smiled innocently. She flew up to be eye level. “If’n Loki continues doin’ this, ya let me know, ‘kay?”

Gambit nodded. “Jus’ no doctors.”

“Remy, ya might hafta.”

“No doctors!”

“Ah know ya haven’t had good dealin’s with things of that sort, but sometimes ya gotta make an exception when it’s really necessary.”

The Cajun folded his arms and huffed.

Miss Minutes rolled her eyes. “Tha doctor ain’t gonna stick ya with needles.”

“How ya know?”

The clock shrugged. “‘Cause there wouldn’t be a reason to.”

“Sinister di’n’t have ta have a reason…” Gambit said darkly. “Ah don’ wan’ no needles in ma bottom an’ legs.”

Miss Minutes studied him with worried eyes. “Did Sinister do that to ya?”

Gambit flopped tummy down on the bed, buried his face in his pillow, and refused to answer.

“Remy, ya can tell me.”

“Yah,” he said softly. “Sinister, he tortured me in all sorta cruel ways. Stuck me wit’ needles. Sometime ta draw blood. Sometime for no reason t’all. He sadistic an’ jus’ enjoyed torturin’ for de fun of it. He hooked me up to machines, prodded me, an’ strapped me to a table an’ stuck me in jus’ ‘bout every part of my body—sometime harder dan necessary jus’ ‘cause he liked hearin’ me scream.” Tears trailed down the Cajun’s cheeks and he buried his face deeper into his pillow. “When de President Loki restrained me while he beat me, it brought back dem memories an’ ah panicked. Ah don’ like bein’ restrained an’ ah don’ like bein’ stuck wit’ needles.”

The clock flew over to him. “Oh, Remy. Ah’m so sorry. No one’s gonna hurt ya that way again, sugah.” She stroked his hair gently and embraced his face. “Ah told ya you’d be better off at tha TVA, but ya never listen.”

Gambit leaned into Miss Minutes’ hug. He felt safer and calmer with her near him. “Please stay,” he pleaded.

Miss Minutes regarded him sadly. “Ah can’t. Ah’m needed back at tha TVA.”

“Jus’ stay wit’ me durin’ de nights. Please?”

Miss Minutes’ smile widened.

He tried to hide the tears in his eyes but they spilled down his cheeks. “Ah don’ like dis place. Ah want you.”

“Ah reckon ah can stay durin’ tha nights, but whut if tha others see me?”

Gambit glanced at the tempad. He held it up. “Dat’s righ’. Dey can’ know ah have dis.”

“Ah’ll have ta go back in tha mornin’ before anyone sees me.”

Smiling, Gambit picked up his Miss Minutes-shaped pillow and showed it to her. “Ah found dis pillow dat reminded me of ya. It been keepin’ me company at nights.”

A grin played across the clock’s face. “Aw, that’s sweet of ya.”

“But it ain’t as good as de real t’ing.” He smiled.

Miss Minutes pinched his nose. “You’re adorable. How can ah say no to those big glowin’ eyes?”

After a trip to the bathroom, Gambit shut the door to his room, undressed, and crawled into bed. Thori was nowhere to be seen, so he assumed the Hel-Hound was choosing tonight to sleep in Child Loki’s room.

Miss Minutes settled beside his face and stroked his cheek gently as she hummed a simple little tune. The Cajun yawned and curled into himself, his eyes drooping.

“Ah’ve been havin’ a hard time sleepin’ since ah came here. Ah t’ink it’s ‘cause you’re not here wit’ me.”

“Ah’m here now, sugah.” Smiling, Miss Minutes patted his thumb and guided it to his lips. Instead of getting upset this time, Gambit happily took her silent gesture, pushed his thumb into his mouth, and closed his eyes. “Ya be careful doin’ that ‘round tha President Loki,” she whispered. “Ya don’t need him bullyin’ ya fer it.”

“He already knows…” Gambit pulled out his thumb. “He overheard me tellin’ Thori righ’ ‘fore he beat me an’ teased me an’ called me names for it.”

Miss Minutes’ face turned dark and then she forced a smile. “Go ta sleep, hun. No one’s gonna hurt ya.”

Gambit put his thumb back in his mouth and buried his face in his pillow.

The clock reached over and pulled down the Cajun’s underwear again, studying the damage. Putting his underwear back in place, she rubbed his bottom gently. “No one’s gonna hurt ya,” she repeated in a whisper. She pulled a blanket over Remy and tucked it around him. When she was satisfied that her baby was cozy for the night, she settled down beside him and nestled into the crook of his arm. Gambit pulled her closer to him.

“G’night, Remy,” she whispered as she patted his arm.

“‘Night, petite,” he murmured around his thumb.

The clock smiled at him sweetly and watched him drift off to sleep. Her orange glow cast a soothing feel over the room like a nightlight.

About fifteen minutes later, Miss Minutes was startled by someone entering the room. Gentle footsteps padded across the hard floor toward the bed. She moved and positioned herself deeper under the covers, trying in vain to dim her glow. Cautiously, she peeked out. Whoever it was stopped near the night table and set something down there. He turned. It was Loki…or some version of him. The clock stared at his eyeless face. She remembered Gambit mentioning one of his new friends was an eyeless Loki.

No Eyes Loki leaned over Remy and pulled the covers up around his shoulders. “You don’t have to be afraid,” he whispered.

Miss Minutes thought he was talking to Remy, but it was her he was addressing! She watched as he patted the bed inches from where she was hiding.

“I’m not going to hurt you, and I won’t say anything to the others about you being here.”

Miss Minutes moved back to where she had been nestled in the crook of Gambit’s arm. “H-how didja know ah wuz here?” she asked softly. “Ah mean…yer eyes…”

No Eyes Loki smiled. “I have my ways.” He reached out and traced the clock’s shape with his fingers. “I’m a magical being, after all.”

“Are you uh Loki?”

“Yes. Isn’t it obvious?”

“Ya don’t act like one.”

“Because I’m nice? Am I the only variant of me who’s reformed?”

“Apparently.” Miss Minutes frowned. “If ya hurt Remy…”

“Why would I hurt him?” No Eyes Loki put a gentle hand on Gambit’s head. “I don’t wish to harm anyone. Gambit, especially.”

Miss Minutes eased up a little and settled back.

“You know about…about what the president version of me did, don’t you?”

“Yes. He told me an’ showed me tha damage.”

“I’m not like my brother. I don’t approve of what he did and even helped Gambit by doctoring his wounds.”

“Whut didja put on tha table?”

“A glass of water. I have to sneak it in here so my president brother doesn’t know. He’s very protective of our supplies, especially our water. Sometimes a little too much if you ask me.”

“If he’s that bad, then why do ya let him stay here?”

“He’s a brother who needs help.” No Eyes Loki felt of Miss Minutes again. “And why are you here? Aren’t you…the TVA’s clock?”

“Ah’m here ta see Remy. He’s ma friend.”

No Eyes Loki held his hand extended. “I thought he broke ties with the TVA when he pruned himself. How…?”

Miss Minutes glanced at the tempad on the night table, hidden under a couple of decks of playing cards. “Ain’t none of yer business,” she said coldly.

“I meant no disrespect.” No Eyes Loki, again, placed his hand on Gambit’s head. “He radiates power.”

“Yeah, he’s uh mutant.”

“With mystical qualities,” he murmured.

“Whut?” Miss Minutes turned her eyes to Gambit’s sleeping form. He snored lightly, his thumb still tucked securely in his mouth. She blinked and turned her eyes back to the blind Loki.

“He has powers he isn’t aware of—mystical powers.” No Eyes Loki adjusted Gambit’s blanket. “Feel free to stay as long as you like. Any friend of Gambit’s is a friend of mine.” With that, No Eyes Loki walked to the door and left the room.

Chapter Text

Gambit cracked open his eyes and saw a smiling clock inches from his face. He smiled back around the thumb in his mouth.

“Hey, Remy.” Miss Minutes skritched his cheek and kissed his nose. “Rise ‘n’ shine, sweetheart.”

“Mornin’, petite.” He yawned. “Ah thought ya were gonna go back to de TVA.”

“Since no one’s come in here yet, ah thought ah’d stay uh lil’ while longer.”

“Ah like ya wakin’ me up better dan Thori.”

“How’s Thori wake ya up?” Miss Minutes hopped on his back and began massaging his shoulders.

“Burnin’ my bum.”

Miss Minutes laughed. “Wha’??”

“It don’ hurt. He can control de temperature of his flames, so it feels like warm air. It don’ ignite or burn anythin’, but it still uncomfortable. ‘Specially when ah ain’t wearin’ my britches.”

“That’s mean.”

Gambit shrugged. “It jus’ Thori bein’ Thori. He messed up.” He yawned again and stretched. “So, how long ya stayin’?”

“Ah dunno. Ah can’t stay too much longer or tha others migh’ see me.”

“Ya gonna come back t’night?”

Miss Minutes smiled warmly. “Ah reckon ah will.” She pinched his cheek. “Jus’ for you, sugah.”

Gambit’s cheeks flushed. “Ah missed ya so much, petite.”

“Me too,” Miss Minutes whispered. “Ah wish ya coulda stayed at tha TVA. Ya woulda had uh much better life than…”—she glanced around the room— “…this.”

“Life at de TVA seemed borin’ an’ dull. Ah can’ see it bein’ any better. ‘Sides, ah still don’ agree wit’ de TVA. So ah’ll stay here, as much as ah don’ like it here neither.”

“Oh, Remy.” She patted his bottom firmly in mock spanking.

Gambit looked over his shoulder. “Wha?? Wha’ ah do?”

“Ya can be so stubborn!” She gave his bottom one more firm pat and waggled a finger in his face while smiling playfully. “Naughty boy.”

“Dat’s why ya like me, petite.” Gambit smiled smugly.

“Give me one good reason why ah shouldn’t paddle ya fer real.”

“Cuz ah’m cute an’ drop-dead gorgeous.”

Miss Minutes laughed. “Ah think that’s two reasons.”

“Three. Cuz my bottom’s already sore.”

Concern washed over the clock’s face. “Yeah, ah sorta took tha liberty of lookin’ at it again in daylight while ya were sleepin’. It looks bad, Remy. Tha gashes are healin’, but it still looks bad.”

“Yah, well… It’ll heal in time like ya said.”

“Ya sure ya don’t want me ta take ya to tha doctor?”

“Non! It don’ hurt as bad now as it did. It jus’ a lil’ sore. It healin’. Some areas don’ even hurt at all.”

“Are ya sure?”

“Ah’m sure, yah. Honest!”

The clock studied him a moment. “Are ya sure ya ain’t lyin’ jus’ so ya don’t hafta go to tha doctor?”

“N-non! Ah ain’t! Promise! It don’ hardly hurt now.” He was telling the truth. Or a half-truth, anyway. His bottom might look bruised still, but it wasn’t as sore as it was even yesterday. He could tell his healing factor was taking care of the problem and knew by the end of the day, it would feel normal again with only minor soreness.

The clock remained quiet for a few minutes as she stared at him. Finally, she said, “Ya let me know if’n ya ever need my help, ‘kay?”

Gambit nodded.

Miss Minutes flitted over to the night table, picked up a comb, flew back, and began running it through his hair.

Gambit sighed. “Dat feels good.”

She laughed. “Don’t ya ever take off yer cowl?”

“Sure ah do. Ah jus’ feel like sleepin’ in it righ’ now.”

“Ah’d like ta comb that gorgeous long hair of yers.”

“Maybe later.”

Miss Minutes rolled her eyes and continued combing the visible hair—pulling it back and letting it flop back in place. She nuzzled his face.

Grinning, Gambit wrapped his arms around the clock and pulled her into a hug, rubbing his cheek against her.

“You’re too sweet of uh baby fer this place, Remy,” she whispered. “Won’t ya consider comin’ back to tha TVA? Maybe ah can find ya somethin’ ta do that would suit ya. Hm?” She skritched his chin.

“But, wha’ ‘bout dem people ya take outta de timeline an’ send here to dis place? Ah can’ go back dere knowin’ where dey end up. Even if de Time Keepers say it de rules, ah ain’t gonna send no one here jus’ for makin’ choices!”

Miss Minutes sighed sadly. “Suit yerself. At least ah tried.” She skritched his armpit.

Gambit squirmed.

Smiling impishly, the clock ran her fingers down his side and back up to his armpit.

“Hey!” The Cajun giggled and let go of her to protect his vulnerable areas. “Stoppit. Dat tickles.”

“That’s tha idea.” Miss Minutes flitted around him, poking and prodding at the spots she knew would get him squirming.

“Ah said stoppit, petite!” Gambit laughed. He rolled around and tucked his arms closer to his body.

Miss Minutes tugged on the waistband of his boxers, letting it snap against his bottom.

“Ulp!” Gambit rose up on his elbows. “Petite! Now dat’s jus’ fightin’ dirty!”

“It got ya ta loosen yer arms, didn’t it?” She flew at him and ran her fingers over his ribs and under his arms, sending the Cajun into another fit of laughter as he rolled over on his stomach and tucked his arms under him again. She came to a halt next to his head and ran her hand over his hair.

“Are ya gonna stop?” Gambit asked, his voice muffled by his pillow.

“Ya want me ta stop?”

Gambit reached up and grabbed her, but the clock slipped out of his hand. “No ya don’t, Cajun boy!” she giggled. Gambit stretched out his hand to grab her again, but she flew out of his reach and tugged down his boxers partway.

“HEY! Petite!” Gambit quickly grabbed his underwear and pulled them back in place. “Ain’t gonna have none o’ dat!”

Miss Minutes giggled and flew high over the bed where he couldn’t get at her.

“Now who’s bein’ naughty?”

“Ya know ya like it.”

Gambit smirked up at her. “Are ya done now?”

“Ah guess, if ya want me ta be.”

He rolled his shoulders. “Ah wouldn’t mind ya massagin’ ma shoulders again.”

Miss Minutes floated down and started massaging him, running her small hands down his back in smooth strokes.

“Jus’ watch where dem hands go.”

Miss Minutes giggled. “Ah wouldn’t dream of doin’ anythin’”

“Ah bet.” Gambit smirked. He closed his eyes. “Ya see? Dis wha’ ah missed ‘bout ya. Ya pamper good. It’d jus’ be weird for de others ta do dis.”

“Oh really? Is this all ya missed?”

“Ah missed ya company too.”

“But ya really jus’ like bein’ babied, right?”

Gambit smiled sheepishly.

“Ya lil’ rascal.” She tickled his armpit.

Gambit jerked and laughed. “Non, petite! Ah like ya bein’ here wit’ me. Ya make me feel…stoppit!” He tucked his arms under him as Miss Minutes continued tickling him.

“Ah make ya feel whut?”

“Ya make me feel calm.” The Cajun laughed. “Ya like my emotional support.”

Smiling, Miss Minutes stopped and went back to massaging. “You’re uh lil’ goofball, ya know that?”

Gambit grinned.

“You’re lucky ah don’t paddle ya.” The clock flicked his nose.

He frowned. “Paddle me? Ah ain’t don’ nuttin’.”

Miss Minutes smirked. “Give it time.”

Thori pushed open the door and jumped on the bed. He stopped short when he saw Miss Minutes on Gambit’s back.

“Creepy clock,” he growled.

Miss Minutes turned around. Frowning, she flew at him. “Don’t ya dare burn his bottom!”

Gambit peered over his shoulder. “Ah told ya it don’ hurt, petite. It like warm air.”

Thori started barking.

“We gon’ go through dis again?”

“Hush!” said Miss Minutes.

“Thori, dat enough!” Gambit sat up. “Ya barkin’ gonna bring someone in here.”

Thori quieted down but continued growling under his breath.

“She a friend, Thori.”

“She don’t look like friend.”

“Remy! Footsteps!” Miss Minutes whispered.

“Ya better leave.”

President Loki walked in and saw Miss Minutes just as she blinked out of sight.

“What was that??” he demanded.

Thori ran to the edge of the bed, his growling growing louder as he focused his energy on the trickster. “Stay where you are, scummy President!”

“Scummy?!”

“Wha’ ya doin’ in my room?” Gambit scowled. He snatched some cards from the night table. “Ya ain’t ‘xactly welcome in here.”

“I demand to know what that was.”

“Whut wha’ was?”

“That…that orange thing that just vanished.”

“Ya must be seein’ t’ings. Dere ain’t no orange t’ing here, ‘xcept ma pillow.” He held up his Miss Minutes-shaped pillow.

Thori opened his mouth, but Gambit reached out and clamped it shut, pulling the wiggling Hel-Hound into his side.

“Mmmhphphphm!” Thori said, pushing with his back foot until the Cajun let go of him. Thori walked behind Gambit and bit his backside…hard.

“YEOWCH!!” Gambit jumped to his feet. “Thori! Mon Dieu! Wha’ ya doin’??” He rubbed his backside briskly and glowered at the pup. “Dat was more dan a nip!”

Thori glared back at him and let out an irritated ‘ruff’. “Thori spank you,” he said under his breath. He then turned his attention back to President Loki. “Dirty President,” he sneered. The hair on his back stood up. “You leave this room right now or die!”

“Shut up!” President Loki snapped. He turned his eyes back to the Cajun. “I’m not seeing things, Cajun fool. It was that TVA clock, wasn’t it? How did she get here?”

“That ain’t none of yer business!” said Miss Minutes sternly from behind President Loki.

The trickster spun around and fixed her with his eyes.

“Ah can travel anywhere ah have uh mind ta.”

President Loki turned his eyes to Gambit, a dark look washing over his face. “Are you consorting with the TVA?”

Gambit shook his head.

“I think you are. You’re a spy and a traitor that’s working for them!”

“Ah’m not, no! It ain’t nothin’ like dat!”

“Then why is she in your room?”

“Why are you in my room?” Gambit threw back.

“We’re jus’ friends!” Miss Minutes flew closer to Loki. “Remy doesn’t have any connection to tha TVA. Ah can vouch fer it. He pruned himself jus’ so he wouldn’t have ta work for us.”

“If you’re friends then that means you’re working for the same cause!”

“No, it doesn’t!” Miss Minutes glared at President Loki. “This visit has nothin’ ta do with tha TVA.”

“I’ve heard enough! You have no business being here,” President Loki seethed. “Not after what you did to me.”

Miss Minutes frowned. “You were pruned tha same as everyone else.”

“She has more business bein’ here dan ya have bein’ in dis room,” said Gambit. He charged the cards in his hand. “Ya still haven’t answered my question. Ah don’ appreciate ya always comin’ in here uninvited an’ bein’ all up in my personal space, ‘specially after wha’ ya did de last time ya were in here.”

“I can go anywhere I please, manbaby.”

“It rude ta jus’ come in someone’s room wit’out knockin’.”

“You think I care? I’m a god. I do what I want.”

“Ya ain’t no god. Ya jus’ a pitiful lil’ egotistical man who t’ink he big stuff.”

President Loki shot a burst of magical energy, but Gambit deflected it with a card.

“An’ here ah thought ah was makin’ some kinda progress wit’cha when we were in de pyramid.”

President Loki laughed humorlessly. “What? You actually think you can reform me into being your friend?” He snorted. “Please…”

“Ah sorta hoped for dat, yah. Ah can tell ya got some good in ya somewhere. Ya must have if ya—”

President Loki held up his glowing hand and gave the mutant a warning glare. “Don’t you dare say anything.”

Gambit searched the trickster’s face. “Ah musta been mistakin’. All ya need is a good butt whoopin’.”

Thori growled louder.

“If you spank me again, I’ll do the same to you!” President Loki spat.

“You leave Baby Cajun alone!” Thori snarled. “Go to heck! Leave Baby Cajun’s butt alone!” He barked and showed his fangs, flames flaring from his mouth.

President Loki eyed the Hel-Hound.

“No, ya won’t!”

The trickster turned to Miss Minutes. “I beg your pardon?”

“Ya leave him alone. Ya don’t know one thang ‘bout givin’ uh spankin’.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, you insufferable clock!” President Loki turned on Gambit and took a few steps toward the mutant. He stopped, however, when Thori advanced toward him. “As for you, if you ever lay a hand on me again, I will beat your sorry backside so hard you’ll regret ever coming to this place.”

“And Thori will burn your butt so much, you have to sit in bucket of water for a week,” Thori growled, his glowing eyes bugging out of his head.

“Ah don’ hafta spank ya. Blade did a good job of dat last night.” Gambit smirked. “An’ ah’m sure he eager ta pick up where he left off. Ah’m jus’ surprised ya can walk today. Must be ya healin’ factor kickin’ in tru de night, yah.”

President Loki faltered and stepped away. He put his hands behind him by reflex.

“Wha’ ‘bout it? Ya butt ready ta kiss Blade’s knife again? Ya migh’ hafta eat my pancakes standin’ up.”

President Loki bristled, and he stepped forward again only to have a burst of flames erupt in his face. He staggered back and put his arm in front of him to shield himself.

“Thori warn you! Stay away from Baby Cajun or spanking will feel like heaven compared to what I do to you!” Thori snarled darkly. “My hellfire eager to kiss your butt!”

President Loki locked eyes with the Hel-Hound as if he could stare down the demonic pup. Thori didn’t even look like Thori at this point, he noted. He looked more like some possessed cat with its back arched. Flames continued to spew from his mouth, flaring and dying down with his breathing—a terrifying sight that even Surtur would run crying away from.

Miss Minutes looked from one man to the other and Thori, not knowing what to say or how to stop this before it escalated. Finally, she swooped down and grabbed the horned crown off President Loki’s head.

“HEY! Give that back!”

“Not until ya learn ta behave an’ stop harrassin’ Remy!”

“I said…”—President Loki waved his hand and pinned Miss Minutes to the wall with his magic, his palm glowing a bright green.— “…give it back!”

“Ooof!” the clock gasped under the invisible force. The crown slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a heavy clang.

“Ya leave her alone!” Gambit screamed out. He threw a charged card at Loki, but the trickster blocked the explosion with his other hand as easily as if he were swatting a fly.

President Loki smiled devilishly at seeing the Cajun’s stunned face. While still holding Miss Minutes against the wall, he took a few steps forward, retrieved his crown, and placed it back on his forehead.

Gambit ran and charged headfirst into President Loki, taking the god by surprise. The impact broke the trickster’s concentration, allowing Miss Minutes to go free. Both men fell into the hallway with a loud thump that dented the wall opposite.

“KILL THE PRESIDENT!” Thori screamed out excitedly. “MURDER HIM!”

Gambit stepped back, breathing hard. His eyes lit up a bright purple as he grabbed President Loki by his lapel and pulled him closer to his face. Immediately, the trickster’s clothes lit up with the same purple glow. “If ya ever lay a hand or your magic on her again, we gonna be cleanin’ ya off dese walls,” he said darkly.

President Loki’s eyes widened in fear and his mouth fell open. He was aware that his clothes were charged to explode so he slowly held up his hands in surrender. “You win,” he said weakly.

“It ain’t ‘bout winnin’. Ah jus’ don’ like ya hurtin’ my friends.”

Blade and the others ran down the hallway and stopped when they saw Gambit and President Loki. Seeing the Cajun standing over the trickster in nothing but his underwear and cowl wasn’t what Blade expected when he heard the ruckus.

“Gambit!” the vampire hunter snapped.

The Cajun looked up, his eyes still glowing.

“Let him go.”

“Ah thought you’d appreciate dis, Blade.”

“It’s true. I could care less either way, but I don’t want anyone to die that way.” Blade lifted his hand. “Just drop the charge. If he’s bothering you again, we can handle it a different way. No one has to die today.”

“He deserve another spankin’.”

“I can give him another one if you think he needs it. And I’m gonna give you one, too, if you don’t drop the charge.”

Blinking, Gambit glanced at President Loki and then back to Blade, his cheeks lightly flushed pink at the threat. The purple glow faded from President Loki’s clothes and Gambit released his hold, his eyes dimming.

“That’s better. Now, what happened?”

“Dis here couillon, he came into my room again wit’out knockin’. Den he threatened ta beat me again an’ attacked my friend.”

“That’s not true!” President Loki spat.

“It is true, yah! An’ ya never said why ya were in my room.”

“Remy’s right!” said Miss Minutes as she flew out of the room to hover near the Cajun’s head. At that moment, she realized what she’d done and slowly looked at Blade and the others. “Ah mean…oops.”

“There!” President Loki pointed to Miss Minutes. “The mutant is a traitor! He’s working as a spy for the TVA!”

“Ah am not! An’ even if ah was, why would ah spy on a group of variants de TVA pruned to de Void, anyway? Everyone at de TVA t’inks ya die when ya pruned. Why would dey send spies here?”

“Remy…” Miss Minutes started.

“Gambit, where’d the clock come from?” Blade asked.

“I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for this…” No Eyes Loki put a hand on Blade’s arm but the vampire hunter jerked away. “We can settle this rationally.”

“I’ll handle it rationally.” Blade fixed Gambit with a withering glare. “I’ll settle it good with my knife’s blade right across some little Cajun’s butt.”

Gambit swallowed, his eyes flitting to every person around him. “Dis ain’t wha’ it seems. Honest.” He gestured at Miss Minutes. “She ma friend.”

Miss Minutes smiled nervously and waved. “Hey, y’all…”

“If you’re not a spy then why do you have friends at the TVA?” President Loki asked. “I’m assuming you have more than one since you told me you tasted their liquor. Sounds to me like you’re close buddies with a lot of people there.”

“Bein’ friends don’ make ya a spy—don’ even mean ah’m connected to de place.” Gambit glanced up at Miss Minutes. “She an’ ah…we jus’ hit it off right. Dat’s all. Wasn’t even meanin’ ta be friends. It jus’ happened. Ah ain’t no spy, an’ ah ain’t connected to de TVA. Ah already told y’all ah don’ agree wit’ dem. But ah still friends wit’ Miss Minutes.”

No Eyes Loki put his hand on Blade’s arm.

“How did she get here?” Blade asked.

“She…”

“Ah can travel anywhere ah please, includin’ tha Void,” said Miss Minutes. “Ah missed Remy. That’s why ah came here. Ah wuz jus’ checkin’ ta see if he’s okay.”

“If the people at the TVA think you die when you’re pruned, then how did she know to come here and visit you?” President Loki asked as he stood up slowly, brushing off his clothes.

Miss Minutes looked around nervously.

“She different dan de others. Ah told ya de people at de TVA are variants like us. Dey been brainwashed.”

President Loki gave him a quizzical look.

“Yeah, probably by her.” Blade nodded to the clock.

“Ya take dat back!”

“Gambit!”

No Eyes Loki tugged Blade’s arm. “Let’s go and leave them alone. I trust that everything’s okay. There’s no need to continue this further.”

Blade complied without saying a word, but he kept his eyes on Gambit until he turned the corner and went into the living room. Child Loki, Mini Gambit, and Jeff, his tail tucked between his legs, followed silently.

Gambit gave President Loki a side-eye glance before he returned to his room. He walked to the night table and snatched up the tempad to put inside his coat.

“What’s that?” President Loki asked. He stepped into the room, but Thori ran to stand in front of him, growling.

“Ain’t none your business,” Gambit mumbled. “Ya caused ‘nough trouble already.”

“I caused trouble??” Kicking Thori out of the way, President Loki sprinted forward, nearly knocked Gambit over, and snatched the tempad out of the Cajun’s hand. “Where did you get this?!” he breathed out, turning questioning eyes to the mutant.

“Ah said it ain’t none your business! Now, give it back.”

President Loki held it out of reach. “You have a way to get out of this cursed place and didn’t tell us?”

“Ah ain’t usin’ it ta get outta here.”

“Then why do you have it?”

Gambit opened his mouth and closed it. What could he say? That Miss Minutes had given it to him in case he changed his mind about working for the TVA? President Loki had already accused him of being a traitor. Telling the trickster why he had the tempad would only make his assumptions true.

“Jus’ give it back,” he finally said. “Ain’t none ya business why ah have it.”

“No, I think it’s further proof you are a traitor.” President Loki took a step back…right into a burst of hot flames up his backside. “AHHHHHH!!!” he screamed out. He turned and ran out of the room with Thori chasing after him. “GET AWAY FROM ME!”

“DEATH TO THE PRESIDENT!!”

Gambit was about to follow, but Miss Minutes flew in front of him and shook her head. She flew over and shut the door.

“Outta my way, petite.”

“Don’t,” she said. “Let Thori handle him.”

“He got de tempad, though!”

“Ah know, but there ain’t nothin’ ya can do ‘bout it now.”

“By de time we catch up ta him, he probably already be gone outta de Void.”

“Assumin’ he knows how ta use uh tempad correctly. Tempads have security features installed in case they end up in tha wrong hands.”

“Like when ah ended up in Mobius’ office?”

Miss Minutes nodded. “If ya don’t know how ta use one, it can be frustratin’.”

“Let’s hope dat de case.” Gambit put on his pants.

“Are ya gonna tell Blade about what ya saw?”

“Not yet.”

“Remy, ya need ta tell tha others...”

“Ah will.”

“When?”

“Sometime. After ah get de tempad back.”

“Remy…”

“Wha’?”

“Yer already in hot water. Addin’ more on top of it ain’t gonna end well fer ya, ya know that. Ya heard what Blade said.”

Gambit said nothing as he adjusted his armor and put on his coat and gloves. He glanced at the clock.

“He threatened ta spank ya,” Miss Minutes continued.

“Don’ worry, petite. Ah got dis under control.”

The air was thick when Gambit walked into the living room, Miss Minutes riding on his shoulder. Everyone turned their eyes on him. They saw him as a spy and a traitor now after President Loki opened his big mouth and threw out accusations. It figured.

He cleared his throat. “Um…where de President go?”

Blade nodded to the front door. “Ran out that way with Thori running after him.”

Gambit swallowed and glanced at Child Loki and Mini Gambit and then at No Eyes Loki. “Erm…ah guess no one’s in de mood for breakfast, den?”

“Mrrrrrr!” Jeff wagged his tail, his tongue flopping out the side of his mouth.

“At least ah got one person on my side.”

Miss Minutes nudged him. “Two.”

“If ya wan’ me ta move out, ah unnerstand.”

Blade sighed. “Gambit, no one’s asking you to move out.”

Gambit looked up in surprise.

“I believe you.”

“Y-ya do?”

“I don’t think you’re a traitor or a spy, because you have no reason to be. We all know the President is crazy, so I’m not gonna believe anything he says. He’s a liar.” He looked at Miss Minutes. “I’ll admit, I’m not comfortable with the clock being here, but if she’s your friend and you trust her, then I’m willing to overlook it.”

Gambit smiled.

“None of us believe you’re a traitor or a spy,” No Eyes Loki added.

“Dat’s righ’!” Mini Gambit squeaked. “Ya me, after all.”

“De President does.”

“Don’t worry about him.” Blade waved it off. “I’ll deal with him when he gets back.”

“Wha’ ya gonna do?”

“I’m gonna lay my blade across his butt again like you said he needs. I’m tired of having to deal with this nonsense every single day.”

Gambit shifted from one foot to the other. He needed to get that tempad back. What if Blade discovered it while spanking President Loki? He put his hands behind him absently. If any of them discovered he had a tempad, he’d be the next one to go over Blade’s knee, he was sure of it.

“We’re going to the store again,” said Child Loki with a smile, hoping to change the subject. “Want to come with us? Eyeless Loki is going to make sure nothing happens this time. He’s gonna open a portal so we can come out into the store and carry things back here without risking Alioth seeing us.”

“Uh…dat sounds great, yah. Ah’ll come.”

Miss Minutes patted his head.

Gambit knew he needed to look for the tempad, but since President Loki was out running from Thori, there was no way he would be able to do it now. Might as well go on another store run. It would be a perfect distraction so the others wouldn’t suspect anything.

Miss Minutes patted his head again. “Tha tempad,” she whispered.

“Ah know, cher, but ah can’ get it until de President come back—if he ever does. Ain’t nothin’ stoppin’ him from usin’ it ta run away.”

“Ya forget whut ah said ‘bout him not knowin’ how ta use it.”

“Ah hope ya right, petite. If not, we can kiss dat tempad goodbye.”

“Ain’t ya gonna introduce me?” Miss Minutes said louder.

“Yah. Uh…Miss Minutes, dis is Blade, Jeff, Loki, an’ child version of Loki.” Gambit waved his hand down at Mini Gambit. “An’ dis is T-Gambit. Ah believe ya wanted ta meet him last night, yah.”

Miss Minutes gasped when she laid eyes on the tiny Gambit sitting on the couch. “Awww! Ain’t ya jus’ adorable?” she cooed.

Mini Gambit wrinkled his nose and leaned away. “Ah beg ya pardon?” Before Mini Gambit knew what was happening, the clock flew down and scooped him up in her arms and cradled him like a baby. “Hey! Wha’ de???” He wiggled and kicked his little legs.

“Ain’t ya jus’ tha cutest lil’ tater nugget?” Miss Minutes tickled his belly.

Gambit wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn the clock grew a bit larger to hold Mini Gambit comfortably.

“Ah ain’t cute! An’ ah ain’t no tater! Now, put me down!”

She pinched his cheek. “Yes, ya are, sugah.”

“Mademoiselle!”

She kissed his forehead, heaved him over her shoulder, and patted his bottom.

“Mademoiselle, please! Ah ain’t no baby! Ah…” Mini Gambit stopped when the clock began skritching his back, his face melting into ecstasy. “Dat actually feels good, yah.”

Miss Minutes walked over and sat on Gambit’s shoulder while she alternated between skritching Mini Gambit’s back and patting his tiny bottom.

Gambit lifted an eyebrow. “Ya gonna do dat ta me later?”

“Ah’ll skritch yer back an’ pat ya heinie if’n ya want, but don’t expect me ta heave ya over my shoulder,” she quipped.

A laugh went up from the others, and Gambit’s face flushed red.

“Ya don’ hafta go into details, petite.”

“Ya asked an’ ah answered.” Miss Minutes smiled.

“How ‘bout ah fix us some pancakes?” he said. “De President ain’t here ta grumble ‘bout it.”

Jeff danced on his hind legs. “Mrrrrrr!!”

“Sounds good to me,” No Eyes Loki said with a smile. “I think it’s what we all need right now.”

“With chocolate chips!” Child Loki beamed.

“Ah don’ care jus’ s’long as de clock don’ stop,” Mini Gambit murmured as he enjoyed the pampering Miss Minutes was lavishing on him.

The clock squeezed him in a hug and patted his back. “Is there uh baby bottle around here?” she asked.

Mini Gambit’s eyes widened. “Now, hang on jus’ minute, cher! Dat goin’ too far! Ah ain’t gonna allow dat.”

The clock flipped him over on his back and cradled him in her arms. “Ya sure?”

Mini Gambit whimpered. “‘Course ah’m sure! It humiliatin’. Ah ain’t no baby!”

“Ah’m sure we can find one at de store,” Gambit said with a grin. “Maybe a pacifier ta go wit’ it.”

Mini Gambit turned a horrified face to him. “Ah thought ya were on my side, mon ami! We de same person!”

Gambit chuckled.

“Ya really gonna let her do dat ta me??”

“Why not? Migh’ be cute.”

Blade attempted to hide a smile.

Mini Gambit wiggled in the clock’s arms. “Maybe we needa put a diaper on you an’ see how ya like dat!”

Miss Minutes kissed his cheek.

Mini Gambit wrinkled his nose and pushed the clock away. “Please, cher.”

Everyone laughed.

Much to Gambit’s relief, the tension had lessened thanks to Miss Minutes pampering Mini Gambit. Still…he couldn’t shake the feeling the morning’s events had somehow tainted the group’s view of him…all because he’d summoned Miss Minutes here. Had he done wrong? He turned his eyes to the clock still cuddling Mini Gambit. It was just a harmless friendship between them, nothing more. He had no ties with the TVA and didn’t care to have them. So what was the harm in continuing to be friends with the cartoon clock and also Mobius? After all, Mobius was a variant like them who had been pulled from the timeline. One wrong move and the TVA would probably send him here as well.

Thori returned in the middle of them fixing pancakes.

“What did Thori miss?” the pup asked as he trotted through the front doorway, his tongue hanging out. “Smells like pancakes!”

“Dat’s ‘cause it is.” Gambit shared a glance with Miss Minutes. “Where’d de President go?”

“He ran fast and far.”

“Well…is he gonna join us for breakfast?”

“I doubt it. Thori got him good.”

Gambit shared another glance with Miss Minutes. She looked as troubled as he did.

“Ah’ll save him some pancakes jus’ in case he show up.” He nodded at Thori. “Ya be careful wit’ him. He turn into a dragon an’ barbecue ya.”

Thori laughed. “Baby Cajun forget Thori Hel-Hound. Thori can’t be barbecued. Thori made of hellfire!”

“Jus’ de same. Ya be careful.”

Breakfast came and went with the absence of President Loki. The store run went smoother than the last thanks to No Eyes Loki opening a portal directly into the store so that no one was able to see them go there. Everyone thought they were evading Alioth, but Gambit and Miss Minutes knew the sky monster wasn’t the only threat they were evading this way. If it was true that Dracula was watching them, approaching it like this would keep them safe from him as well.

Blade and Gambit grabbed up step stools and small ladders to make areas of their home more accessible for Mini Gambit’s small size. Thanks to the portal, they were able to transport them by walking through and depositing them in the living room as easily as carrying them from one room to the other. On one of the trips, Gambit threw Blade a questioning look when the vampire hunter picked up a belt from the store’s wreckage and brushed it off. He flexed it a couple of times.

“Thought it would do better than my knife blade,” he said, answering the Cajun’s silent question. “At least with this, I don’t risk injuring him.”

Gambit didn’t comment. A smirk played across his mouth when he thought of the surprise President Loki was in for when he came home. His smirk disappeared just as fast, however. He looked at the belt again and shuddered. What if Blade used it on him too?

After they retrieved everything they set out to get, Gambit and Child Loki grabbed up as many boxes of pancake mix as they could find along with whatever else was salvageable for making them and waffles.

Gambit also grabbed up something else…

“Hey, Miss Minutes,” he called out when they returned to the living room. He held up a baby bottle and pacifier with a grin.

The clock smiled and flew toward him, grabbing the items from his hand.

“Ya didn’t!” Mini Gambit cried out. “Ah thought ya were jokin’!”

“Ya t’ink ah’m gonna miss dis opportunity?”

“B-b-but…ah’m you! Ya gonna humiliate yaself???” he squeaked.

Gambit shrugged. “Too late now.”

Miss Minutes held up the pacifier and waggled it.

Mini Gambit’s mouth fell open. “Ah ain’t gonna suck on dat!”

“Why not?” Miss Minutes cooed. Lowering her voice, she said, “Ah’m assumin’ yer tha same as tha other one.”

“Wha’ ya mean by dat?”

The clock sat down beside him on the couch and took the pacifier out of its packaging. “Ya suck yer thumb?” she whispered.

Mini Gambit’s mouth opened and closed silently.

Miss Minutes scooped him into her arms, cradling him, and stuck the pacifier in his mouth.

Mini Gambit’s shoulders slumped in surrender, a scowl on his face.

President Loki didn’t return home until close to nightfall. The trickster entered the church, refused to make eye contact with anyone, and walked slowly across the living room toward the bedrooms.

“Cutting it a bit close, aren’t we?” said Blade. President Loki turned a pouting face to him and said nothing. “I want you to go to your room.”

President Loki eyed him curiously. “Why?”

Blade picked up his belt and nodded toward the door that led to the bedrooms. “Because you and I are gonna have a little talk.”

President Loki’s eyes grew wide as they traced the strip of leather. Without a word, he walked to his room with Blade following behind.

The others remained silent as they watched the procession. Thori got up to follow, but Gambit called him back.

“What?” Thori asked.

Frowning, Gambit waved the hound back to the couch. “Ya stay here.”

“Thori want to watch.”

“It ain’t polite ta watch.”

Thori snorted. “You’re no fun.”

“Dey don’ needa audience.”

Reluctantly, Thori returned to the couch but sat down on the floor at Gambit’s feet.

Before long, they could hear President Loki’s cries as well as the whole conversation between him and Blade, which got pretty loud at one point, from the living room. It was Gambit’s cue to slip away to his room. At least there, he couldn’t hear it as much. Thori and Miss Minutes followed him.

“Ya ain’t gonna ask about tha tempad?” Miss Minutes whispered as they walked down the hallway.

“Ya kiddin’, yah? Ya t’ink ah’m fou? Ah ain’t gonna approach Blade t’night an’ what goin’ on in dere! Ah’ll jus’ hafta sneak into de President’s room later an’ get it.”

“Remy!”

“Wha’? Ain’t de first time. Ah’m a thief, remember?” He closed the door to his bedroom. “‘Sides, it ain’t stealin’ if ya takin’ back what was stolen from ya.”

“But, what if they accuse ya of stealin’?”
“Ah said it ain’t stealin’ if ya jus’ taken it back from someone who did steal it.”

“Ah dunno, Remy… Ah have uh bad feelin’ about it.”

“Ya worry too much.” He sat on the bed. “We jus’ gotta wait till dey all go ta bed.”

“Cheesies?” Thori wagged his tail.

“Why not?”

Thori jumped down and grabbed a bag of Cheetos from Gambit’s stash.

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Gambit cracked open the door to his room and peered out into the hall, listening for any sounds coming from the other part of the building.

“Ya t’ink dey all ‘sleep by now?”

“Remy, this is dangerous. Ah still think ya need ta jus’ tell Blade. He can get tha tempad back from President Loki,” said Miss Minutes.

“Thori agree with clock!” The Hel-Hound lay on the bed and chewed on a rubber bone. “Blade spank that nasty President again. Get tempad-whatchamacallit back.”

“Both of ya are taré—crazy! Blade de one person ah don’ want knowin’ ‘bout de tempad, remember? If he finds out ‘bout it, he’ll tan my hide good wit’ dat belt. Ya heard wha’ went on back dere earlier. Ya want me bein’ de next one? Ah don’ fancy sleepin’ on my stomach t’night!”

“Ya sleep on yer stomach every night…” Miss Minutes pointed out, rolling her eyes.

“… Dat true. But it ‘cause ah wanna not ‘cause ah hafta ‘cause… Never mind.”

“Cuz whut?” The clock smiled.

Gambit looked sidelong at her.

“Cuz ya gotta sore heinie?”

“It ain’t funny.”

“Thori thinks it is,” the Hel-Hound said with a snicker.

“Ya messed up in de head.” Gambit gave his bottom a rub. “Believe me, it ain't funny,” he muttered. “Mobius, he already took a switch an’ ruler ta me. Ah ain’t ‘bout ta know wha’ Blade’s new belt feel like.”

“As ah recall, he also took his hand to ya first after tacklin’ ya.”

Gambit’s cheeks flushed. “Ya don’ hafta remind me.”

Miss Minutes giggled. “Seems ya always gettin’ yerself in trouble when ah ain’t around.”

“Ya ‘round now an’ ya trynna make me choose paths dat’ll get me a whoopin’ for sure.”

“Remy, that ain’t true an’ ya know it.”

Gambit shrank back at hearing the clock’s tone of voice.

“Tha longer ya keep everythin’ uh secret, tha more yer paintin’ yerself into uh corner that will end in ya gettin’ uh whippin’.”

“Ya fou. If ah get dat tempad back, no one’ll know.”

“What’s stoppin’ tha President from tellin’? Ya can’t trust Loki.”

The clock was right. Nothing was stopping President Loki from telling the others. Unless…

“He a liar. Ah’m doubtful dey’ll believe him.”

Miss Minutes nodded. “That’s true.” She looked him up and down curiously. “Quick question. How does Blade know ta spank ya and tha President?”

Blushing, Gambit looked at her over his shoulder. “Remember when ah said ah spanked de President Loki?”

“Ahhhh…okie.”

“He kinda learned from dat, yah.”

Miss Minutes giggled at the thought of the Cajun bringing all this on himself.

“It ain’t funny!”

“It sorta is.”

Gambit frowned. “Never mind. I’mma goin’ out dere.”

“Ah’m goin’ with ya.”

“Non! Ya stay here.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause too many people gon’ ruin it. Ah jus’ needa go slip in quick, grab it, an’ slip out.”

Gambit walked out of his room and padded softly down the hallway. He stopped at the doorway to the living room and peeked around it to make sure Blade wasn’t standing guard tonight. He sighed with relief when he saw the living room was empty. All the lights were out except for the floor lamp behind President Loki’s chair, which was usually left on during the night for security reasons.

The Cajun tiptoed across the room and stopped in front of the doorway next to the kitchen. He pulled out a card and charged it. He’d never been in this part of the shelter before so he wasn’t sure where President Loki’s bedroom was located. Quietly, he stepped into the dark hallway. It was long—stretching the length of the church’s old sanctuary. Doorways lined both sides, most having rugs, blankets, and tattered cloth hung up as makeshift doors.

The first doorway on his left was a storage space. He brushed aside the rug in front of it and held up his glowing card. In the purple light, he could make out boxes of canned goods, bottles of water, and other supplies, both food and non-food. He let the rug fall back into place and moved on. The doorway on his right was Blade’s room. He could see his purple light glistening off polished bladed weapons displayed on hooks on the wall. Various guns and rifles were propped up in the corner near the doorway. Moving down the line, the next doorway on his left was No Eyes Loki’s room. Crosses, crucifixes, and shelves full of potted plants lined the wall he could see. The faint tinkling of wind chimes sounded somewhere in the room along with the wrrring of a fan. When he prepared to walk further down, he stopped at the door next to No Eyes Loki, thinking it was odd that it was the only room that had a light glowing inside. At first, he thought whoever was in there had to be awake, possibly reading in bed. He extinguished his card and peeked around the blanket cautiously.

It was President Loki’s room, and he wasn’t awake.

Gambit could see the contents of the room clearly thanks to a nightlight plugged into an outlet on the farthest wall, next to the night table. Shelves of books covered the wall opposite the bed.

“He sleep wit’ a nightlight?” Gambit whispered. He slipped through the blanket and stood on the other side.

President Loki was sleeping on his stomach, facing outward. The sheets were twisted around his legs, revealing he was wearing nothing but a pair of green boxers with little American flags printed on them. Gambit was surprised he was wearing even that from the sounds he heard earlier that evening. If it had been him on the receiving end, he would be sleeping with nothing on. He stepped closer to the bed, his mind forgetting the boxers in favor of struggling to process that the trickster had a thumb tightly stuck in his mouth. Nestled snuggly in the crook of his arm was a worn stuffed dinosaur.

“Well, ah’ll be a…” Gambit breathed out. “He have ‘lot of nerve bullyin’ me for suckin’ my thumb.” He tiptoed forward and glanced over the items on the night table. Hidden behind President Loki’s crown was the tempad. He reached out and slowly, carefully grabbed hold of the device, picked it up, and tucked it away inside his coat pocket. In its place, he left a Joker card.

President Loki moved and muttered something in his sleep.

Gambit froze where he stood.

The trickster moved restlessly and curled into a fetal position while keeping his rear facing upward.

Gambit moved again when he made sure the god was sound asleep. He peered down at President Loki.

“Ah wish ah had a camera. Dis blackmail material for sure.” He smiled. This was just too good to be true. Now he had something to hold over Loki’s head if he threatened to tell the others about him having the tempad. “Ya jus’ wait, Mr. President. Ah know all ‘bout ya lil’ secrets now—ya nightlight an’ thumbsuckin’.” He flicked the dinosaur with the tip of his finger. “An’ ya lil’ cute dinosaur.” He put a hand on the stuffed animal. He could just take it. It would serve President Loki right for taking his tempad, but something about it felt petty and childish. After all, he didn’t want to be at war with him. That’s why he was trying to make a friendship between them work. Gambit took a step back and stopped. “If only ah had shavin’ cream or somethin’…” Stepping forward again, Gambit drew back his hand and held it extended. “Ah could give him de tannin’ of his life righ’ now—add to wha’ Blade started. Somehow it don’ seem righ’, tho, even though ah know he deserve it.” Sighing, Gambit let his hand fall to his side. Blade had already spanked the trickster thoroughly even though he hadn’t known to spank him for stealing the tempad. If he started spanking him now, he would have to say what he was spanking him for and that would mean he’d have to tell everyone else when they asked questions, which they would since President Loki’s screaming would wake up everyone in the vicinity. He glanced at President Loki’s clothes hanging on the chair in the corner, his eyes resting on the campaign button. His eyes flitted back to President Loki’s butt. A devious smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. “All it’d take would be one stick in de righ’ place…” But he shook his head. He wasn’t that cruel. The smirk returned and his glowing eyes shifted to the pin again. Or was he? It was tempting, but he knew President Loki would kill him on the spot unless he could make a fast getaway. Again, it would wake up everyone and lead to him having to give explanations he didn’t want to give. Besides, memories of his time under Sinister returned, and he shuddered. He didn’t want to be like that—sticking needles into people for pleasure. He knew how it felt. Finally, he reached out and pulled the covers over the trickster and tucked them around him. “Ya have no idea how lucky ya are.”

Gambit left the room and peeked in on Child Loki and Mini Gambit before making his way down the hallway. When he stepped into the living room again, he was startled to see Blade sitting on the couch in front of him, one leg crossed over the other.

Chapter Text

“Mon Dieu! Ah t’ink ah jus’ wet my britches!” Gambit blurted out. “Don’ ya ever sleep?”

“Yeah, I sleep. I’m also part vampire, remember? Not unusual for me to pull all-nighters, especially when I’m restless.” Blade waved a finger in the Cajun’s direction. “When I saw a purple light in my doorway, I knew something was up. Mind telling me about it?”

Gambit pursed his lips and stuck his hands in his coat pockets. He wasn’t sure if charmed speech would work on the vampire hunter, but it was worth a try. After all, none of his new friends knew about that part of him. Since Blade was part vampire, though, he was probably immune to it. So maybe he should just flat-out lie? Or a mix of both, perhaps? He had to do something to get out of this quickly. “Ah was jus’ checkin’ ta see if everyone was accounted for ‘cause ah thought ah heard somethin’ outside.” He nodded to the front door.

“Heard something?” Blade was immediately on his feet and at the door. “Like what?”

Gambit slowly walked over to stand beside him. “Dunno. Jus’ some kinda screechin’ noise. Thought maybe dat bug was back.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m restless tonight.” Blade pulled out a sword. “You let me know when you hear something like that.”

Gambit nodded. “Ah was gonna do dat after checkin’ on everyone. Wasn’t sure where ya slept.”

“You go on to bed. I’ll stand watch.”

Relief washed over the Cajun as he turned and hurried out of the room and down the hallway, straight to his room. He opened the door, slipped inside, and closed it before Blade had a chance to ask more questions. He had to admit it was a close one, but somehow it didn’t feel right what he’d done—manipulating and lying to Blade like that.

“Well?” Miss Minutes flew toward him. “Did’ja get it?”

Gambit nodded. “Ah got it, yah.” He pulled out the tempad and showed her. “It was on his night table. Easy as pie for a thief like me.”

“Whut’s wrong?”

“Whadda’ya mean wha’s wrong?”

“Ya look tense.”

“Ah do?” For the briefest second, guilt flashed across his face. “Uh…”

Miss Minutes fixed him with a stern glare. “Remy, whut did ya do?”

Gambit turned the tempad over in his hands.

“Remy.”

The Cajun shifted his eyes to Thori, who looked back at him expectantly.

“Erm…Blade’s in de livin’ room. Ah…kinda lied and used charmed speech on him so ah could get by wit’out havin’ ta explain dis.” He held up the tempad. “Ah dunno if ma charmed speech worked on him or if he believed my lie, but he fell for it either way.”

“Remy!” The clock put her hands on her hips. The expression on her face told him she wasn’t pleased. “Ya lied ta Blade??”

“Ya one ta talk since ya workin’ for a place dat lies!” Gambit couldn’t look her in the eyes as he walked to the bed and took off his coat. He put the tempad in one of the pockets and laid it aside.

“Remy LeBeau, if’n yer heinie wuzn’t already sore, ah’d spank ya right now.”

“Ah ain’t sore no more.” Gambit’s eyes grew wide when he realized what he’d said. “Ah mean…”

“Oh really?”

“Wha’ ah meant ta say is ah’m still jus’ a lil’ sore.” Gambit forced a nervous smile. Miss Minutes’ threat sent a chill down his spine, and he worked to get undressed fast to avert her gaze. His skin tingled knowing the clock was watching his every move. Lastly, he pulled off his cowl, revealing that most of his hair was long and was pulled back in a ponytail at the back of his neck. Quickly, he picked up a comb and a hairbrush from his night table and handed them to the clock with a grin, hoping to change the subject.

“Ah believe ya wanted ta brush my hair?” he said. He shook his head and made his ponytail flop from side to side. “Well, here it is, petite.”

Miss Minutes glared at him silently.

Gambit sighed. “Ah feel guilty ‘bout wha’ ah done, yah. But ah did what ah hadda do, an’ wha’s done is done. Ah ain’t ‘bout ta explain t’ings ta Blade t’night—not after he whooped Loki.”

Miss Minutes took the comb and brush without a word. When Gambit turned around to get in bed, she brought the hairbrush down hard on his backside with a stinging POP.

“OW!!” Gambit cried out and stiffened. Confused, he grabbed his butt and spun around to face her while rubbing out the sting. “Petite! Wha’…?? Ow! Dat stings!”

Thori snickered and went back to chewing on his bone, his eyes partly closed.

“Ah thought ya weren’t gonna spank me!” Gambit continued.

“Ah’m not.”

Cautiously, Gambit turned to get in bed. Miss Minutes brought the brush down twice, one brisk swat to each cheek. POP! POP!

“Eeeyow!!” Gambit grabbed his backside and turned around again. “Maudit!”

“Ah-ah! Watch yer language, mister.” She waggled the brush threateningly.

“Wha’?? Ah jus’ said maudit!”

The clock flitted down and popped Gambit on the back of his thigh.

“Owch!!” He slid his hand down to rub the new sting. “Petite! Ya said ya weren’t gonna spank me ‘cause ah’m already sore!”

Miss Minutes gave him an innocent look and shrugged. “Ah lied.” She scowled. “Jus’ like ya lied.”

Gambit’s mouth dropped open. “Ah didn’t lie! Ah said ah wasn’t sore no more except for jus’ a lil’ soreness.”

“Ya lied ta Blade!”

“B-b-but…”

“Hey, yer tha one who gave me tha brush.”

“Ta brush my hair! Not swat ma butt!”

“My bad.” Smirking, Miss Minutes rolled her eyes up to look at the ceiling.

Gambit rolled into bed quickly and faced the clock. “Ya gonna use dat brush de righ’ way an’ brush my hair now?”

“Maaaybe.”

Gambit studied her for a moment and then positioned himself on his stomach while grumbling in French. He fluffed up his pillow and pushed it under his head.

The clock struck fast, bringing the brush down hard on the Cajun’s backside. POP!

“OW!!” Gambit howled. “Mercy, petite!” he whined tearfully and rubbed his bottom hard.

“Ah’m not gunna spank ya, but those few swats are uh warnin’ ta remind ya.”

Gambit sniffled and shrank into his pillow. “Ain’t gonna spank me? Seems ya doin’ a fine job of it now. Woo, cher!” He winced.

Thori laughed.

“It ain’t funny!” Gambit snapped. “It stings!”

“Want me to burn your butt?” Thori asked.

“Non! Y’all jus’ leave my bum alone!” Gambit grabbed a blanket and pulled it over his rear.

Miss Minutes laughed. “Like that’s gunna help.”

Gambit stuck his thumb in his mouth and sulked.

“Aww, c’mon, Remy. Don’t be that way, sweetheart.” Miss Minutes tickled his cheek with the comb.

Gambit’s cheek twitched. “Wha’ ya expect? Smackin’ ma butt wit’ dat brush like ya doin’…”

“Ya deserve it after what ya did ta Blade.”

As much as he hated admitting it, she was right. “…Ah reckon… But ya don’ hafta hit so hard!” He ran his hand over his bottom.

Miss Minutes rolled her eyes. “It wouldn’t be uh spankin’ then.” She gave his bottom a gentle pat with the brush. “Would it?”

Gambit stiffened, and he shook his head.

Smiling sweetly, Miss Minutes started brushing his hair. “Ya look so different like this.” She took out the hair tie and ran the comb through his long brown locks.

“Mmmhmm.” Gambit’s eyes drooped. “Ya gonna massage my shoulders too?”

Miss Minutes chuckled. “Ah reckon, ya big spoiled baby.” She ruffled his hair.

For the next few minutes, the clock brushed and combed through Gambit’s hair as he lay still, sucking his thumb and dozing.

“Why do ya do that?” Miss Minutes finally broke the silence while she busied herself with braiding several strands of his hair.

“Do wha’?”

“Suck ya thumb.”

Gambit shrugged. “Dunno. Jus’ somethin’ comfortin’. Ah did it ‘lot as a kid livin’ on de streets ta help me sleep when all ah had was a cardboard box or some other shelter. Guess ah jus’ never grew outta it.”

Miss Minutes smiled.

“Ya ain’t gon’ tell no one, are ya?”

“Of course not. Ya do whatever brings ya comfort, sugah.” She gently tugged on the braids she made. “Besides, ah think it’s cute.”

Gambit’s cheeks flushed.

When daylight was barely visible on The Void’s horizon, President Loki opened the door to Gambit’s room and tiptoed inside. The room was dimly lit by Miss Minutes’ orange glow, which made it easy to see where to walk. As he crept silently across the floor, he kept his eyes on Thori, who was sleeping between Gambit’s legs. One of the pup’s ears twitched and made the trickster pause briefly. When Thori showed no further signs of waking up, President Loki continued forward and stopped at the side of the bed. He glanced over the contents on the night table in search of the tempad. Not finding it there, he turned and looked at the Cajun beside him. He eyed the thumb stuck tightly in his mouth and Miss Minutes tucked in the crook of his arm—asleep.

“Isn’t this so sweet,” President Loki said mockingly.

Miss Minutes’ eyes blinked open, and she peered up at the trickster. Quickly, she flew up. “Remy!” she shouted.

Gambit startled awake, momentarily confused. With a thumb still in his mouth, he turned his eyes up and struggled to focus on President Loki.

“Where’s the device?” President Loki demanded. He turned on the bedside lamp and held up the joker card. “I’m assuming this is yours?”

“Leave him alone!” said Miss Minutes. She flew at President Loki and tugged on the sleeve of his suit coat.

President Loki threw the playing card in the Cajun’s face while trying to fend off Miss Minutes.

Thori woke up and growled. “NASTY PRESIDENT!” he shouted as flames flared out of his mouth. “Why you gotta come in here all the time?”

“Wha’ ya doin’ in here?” Gambit finally asked sleepily with a frown. He propped himself up on one arm. “From de conversation ah overheard you an’ Blade have, he made it clear ya not supposed ta be in here!”

“So?”

“So wha’? Blade said if ya come in here again, he gon’ whoop ya butt again.”

President Loki moved uneasily and put his hands on his rear. He scowled and shoved Miss Minutes. “Get away from me!” He turned back to Gambit. “The time device, manbaby! Where is it?”

Gambit sat up. “De tempad don’ belong ta you! Ah jus’ took back wha’ ya stole from me.”

“If you don’t give it to me, I’m going to tell everyone that you still suck your thumb.”

Gambit smirked. “Issat so? Well, ah can tell dem a few t’ings too. Like how ya still suck yours an’ even sleep wit’ a nightlight an’ a cute lil’ dinosaur.”

President Loki’s face went pale.

“Wait. What now?” Miss Minutes looked President Loki up and down and giggled.

“Dat’s right.” Gambit stood up and forced President Loki to take a few steps back. “Ah know all ya secrets after my trip to ya room. Ya have some nerve bullyin’ me ‘bout my thumbsuckin’ when ya do de same. At least ah don’ sleep wit’ a nightlight or a stuffed animal like a certain baby trickster.”

President Loki pointed at Miss Minutes. “Oh, yeah? What do you call that?”

“She a friend.”

“She can also go for a nightlight.”

“Dat ain’t why she’s here. Her glow don’ mean nuttin’.”

“And you hold her like a stuffed animal.”

“She ain’t dat! She real. Ah’d hold Thori de same way.”

Thori gagged. “No, you wouldn’t, because Thori wouldn’t allow it.”

Gambit threw the Hel-Hound a scowl.

President Loki smirked.

“Go on an’ tell ‘em, den, if it make ya happy. Ah don’ care. Ah’ll jus’ tell ‘em wha’ ah know ‘bout’cha.”

President Loki tightened his fists. “Everyone already knows about the nightlight, so it’s not going to work.”

“But dey don’ know ‘bout yer thumb an’ dinosaur?”

President Loki swallowed. A barely audible whimper escaped his throat. “N-no,” he said weakly.

Gambit smiled.

President Loki glared darkly. “Please don’t tell them,” he whispered.

“Dat depends.”

“On what?”

“Are ya gonna start actin’ decent?”

“I just want that device so I can get out of this wretched place.”

Gambit had to admit he felt sorry for the trickster. He could relate to his feelings since he didn’t like being in The Void anymore than anyone else.

“Ah unnerstand ya feelin’s, but ah can’ give ya de tempad. Ya can’ use it ta go nowhere. None of us can. ‘Cause we don’ belong nowhere no more.” He gestured around him. “Dis our home now whether we like it or not.”

“Then why do you have it?”

Gambit glanced at Miss Minutes. “Ah migh’ ‘s well come clean wit’cha. Miss Minutes, she give it to me ‘fore ah pruned myself in case ah changed my mind an’ decided ta come back to de TVA. Ah…ah would have used it ta return to de TVA, dat’s all. Nowhere else.”

President Loki lowered his gaze. “So, you are working for them?”

“Non. Ah ain’t. Never will.”

“Then…why is she here?” President Loki pointed to Miss Minutes.

“Ah summoned her here ta ask her some questions ‘bout Dracula.”

President Loki looked up, the Cajun perking his interest.

“Ah t’ink ah know where he hidin’.” Gambit sighed. “She stayed here ‘cause ah asked her to. Ah missed her company. Dat’s all. Ah ain’t no spy, an’ ah ain’t workin’ for de TVA.”

“What you said yesterday about the people at the TVA…is that true? About them being variants?”

“It’s true, yah. Dey all de same as us. Jus’ innocent people pulled outta de timeline against deir will.”

“Then why were they chosen to work at the TVA and the rest of us dumped here?”

“Ah dunno.” Gambit waved his hand at Miss Minutes. “Ask her.” He grabbed his clothes.

“Sorry, that’s classified information,” said the clock.

“I had a feeling you would say that.” President Loki turned back to Gambit. “I suppose you’re going to tell Blade I’m in your room.”

Gambit eyed the trickster, noticing he was rubbing his rear. As much as it pained him to admit it, he didn’t have the heart to see the trickster go through more anguish. “Non. But ya gon’ tell him ah wanna see everyone in de livin’ room.”

After getting dressed, Gambit walked into the living room, Miss Minutes once again sitting on his shoulder. She flew forward and sat on the couch next to Mini Gambit. The small Cajun was still half asleep and fell over to lay across Miss Minutes’ lap. Smiling, the clock rubbed his back.

“The President said you wanted to see us?” said Blade.

“Ouais.” Gambit glanced at everyone. “Ah t’ink it time ah got some t’ings out in de open. Ah don’ care if…” He swallowed and hesitated. “Ah don’ care if it it does earn me a whoopin’.”

Blade crossed his arms over his chest.

“It better be good, mon ami,” Mini Gambit slurred. “It better be worth gettin’ outta bed for.”

“Mrrrrr…” said Jeff. The landshark yawned.

Gambit looked at Blade. “First of all, wha’ dis Dracula look like?”

Blade shrugged. “Tall, greenish, white hair. Usually dressed in red-black armor. Why? What’s this about?”

“Ah t’ink ah know where he hidin’.”

He had Blade’s attention instantly.

Gambit told the group everything he’d witnessed, even when he saw Dracula during the Alioth attack. He told them about him bringing Miss Minutes here to ask her questions and presented his theories about Dracula possibly using the TVA as a hiding place because of him using a time door to access The Void.

“Ah t’ink he was trynna kill us wit’ Alioth—get us outta de way.”

“And you’re saying he might be hiding at the TVA?” said Blade.

“He hasta be. Dat de only way ta explain him usin’ a time door.”

“We do have uh Dracula variant workin’ at tha TVA,” Miss Minutes put in. “But like ah told Remy, he’s had his memories erased—like all TVA employees.”

“Because they’re variants…” Blade mumbled.

“Right. But somethin’ musta happened ta him ta get dose memories back.”

“They do start ta resurface occasionally an’ we hafta redo tha process.” Miss Minutes shrugged. “Maybe that’s what happened, ah dunno.”

“And you’re just now telling us this?” Blade asked irritably, fixing Gambit with an icy stare. “Why didn’t you tell us you saw him when Alioth attacked? He could have attacked us here.”

Gambit lowered his eyes and shifted from one foot to the other. He could practically feel Blade’s belt already as his backside clenched. He glanced at President Loki’s satisfied smile. Judging by the trickster’s expression, he could tell the god was enjoying watching him squirm. “Ah jus’ wanted more facts first.”

“Facts nothing!” Blade snapped. “If you saw something—a potential threat—you should have told us!” There was an edge to Blade’s voice that made the Cajun backpedal. “As a member of this team, we trust you to be open and honest.”

“What’s done is done,” No Eyes Loki put in. “He made a mistake.”

“What’s done might be done, but that doesn’t change the fact he withheld information. And you’re right about him making a mistake, which he’s gonna pay for right now.”

Gambit’s eyes widened as he watched the man pull out his dagger.

“Hey! Whoa!” Miss Minutes flew toward the vampire hunter. “Whut are ya gunna do?”

“I’m gonna paddle him.”

“With yer dagger?” Miss Minutes’ eyes traced the bladed weapon anxiously.

“Is that a problem?”

“Ya might hurt him…” She glanced at Gambit.

“It’s either this or my belt. Take your pick.”

Even though Gambit had healed considerably, the clock knew he was still sensitive in that area—both physically and mentally. After the incident with Blade spanking President Loki, she knew the Cajun’s rear probably couldn’t handle Blade’s strength. It might even reopen the gashes.

“Ah’ll spank him,” she said finally.

“Petite?” Gambit gave her a bewildered look.

Miss Minutes shushed him and shook her head.

“You’re gonna do it?”

“Yeah, ah’ll do it after tha meetin’.”

Blade put away his dagger. “Okay. I’m gonna trust you to do a thorough job of it.”

“Oh, ah will,” she glanced at Gambit, who was staring at his feet. “Ya jus’ take care of tha President and ah’ll take care of Remy.”

Blade nodded.

“As much as it pleases me to hear the Cajun is going to get a thorough thrashing, can we get back to the matter of Dracula?” President Loki urged impatiently.

“Dracula must have a second lair somewhere in The Void,” No Eyes Loki continued the original discussion. “Somewhere the Howling Commandoes go because all of them can’t go back to the TVA. That would raise too much suspicion if he’s using it as a hideout. Dracula can shapeshift but the others would be too obvious.”

“I hate to say it, but I agree with my blind brother,” said President Loki.

“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Blade murmured. “But the TVA is a new one. What could he possibly want with it?”

“Power?” No Eyes Loki suggested. “After all, it oversees the timeline. Take control of the TVA and you gain control of the timeline and everyone in the entire existence.”

“Why hasn’t he done it already, though? Why is he wasting time on us?”

“Mind if ah throw somethin’ out?” Gambit asked softly. “Or is da fact ah’m in trouble make a difference?”

Blade motioned for him to continue.

“Could be he creatin’ an army,” said Gambit. All eyes shifted to him. “Ah mean, t’ink ‘bout it. He got de Commandoes under a spell an’ he wants Blade. De Void offers a supply of people he could easily possess ta do his dirty work—unwanted people no one would miss or care ‘bout, ah hate ta say, ‘specially since everyone t’ink we all dead up in here. An’ ah mean no offense by dat since ah also one.”

“Enchant enough people to make an army and then move in on the TVA…” No Eyes Loki whispered. “You could be right about that.”

“Since he already workin’ for de TVA, he knows all dere secrets an’ weaknesses from de inside.”

“Dang…” Miss Minutes mumbled.

“Could be he’s enchanting the more powerful variants,” said No Eyes Loki.

“That can’t be or else he would have chosen us.” President Loki glanced at everyone. “Lokis! We’re the most powerful variants here, right?”

“That’s just it; we’re Lokis. We can’t be enchanted.”

“Oh, right…”

“He knows it, otherwise he would try to recruit us.” No Eyes Loki shook his head. “He knows that approaching a Loki would be like playing with fire.”

“Ah can’ be enchanted, neither, if psychic mind control is wha’ y’all talkin’ ‘bout. My energy protects my mind from it.”

“Dat goes for me, too,” Mini Gambit put in.

“So, Lokis and Gambits aren’t on his enchanting list,” said Blade, “but I am? He already knows I’m immune to vampire hypnosis too.”

“Everyone in this room can’t be possessed?” President Loki looked at everyone in turn, surprise on his face.

“Wha’s sayin’ ya ain’t already possessed? Ya mean ‘nough ta be.”

“Hey! I resent that, Cajun scum!”

Gambit stepped forward before he was stopped by Miss Minutes.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Blade groaned. “Keep it on topic.” He looked straight at Miss Minutes and mouthed, “Whoop him good.”

“One of us gotta go an’ warn de TVA ‘bout wha’ he doin’.”

“And why should we do that?” President Loki spat. “It’s the TVA. Let Dracula take it over. It would serve them right to be conquered and brought down.”

“Guys,” No Eyes Loki lifted his hands, which were glowing green. “I know all of us in this room hold some amount of resentment toward the TVA.” He gestured at Miss Minutes. “Except you, madam. No offense.”

“None takin’,” the clock replied.

No Eyes Loki continued, “We all have the right to resent them because of what they did to us. But it doesn’t change the fact they oversee and maintain the timeline, which all of us came from—we all had homes and lives there. As much as I dislike the TVA myself, I don’t like the thought of Dracula being in charge of it even more. I think the questions we need to be asking are: What does he plan to do with the timeline if he does take over the TVA? And what does it mean for us here in The Void?”

“For all we know, he could be plannin’ ta turn everyone into his possessed zombies an’ rule it wit’ iron fist,” said Mini Gambit.

“Dey right.” Gambit nodded in agreement. “Ah t’ink it a matter of choosin’ de lesser of de two evils. In dis case, de lesser evil bein’ de TVA, as much as none of us wanna hear it. ‘Cause, as far as ah’m concerned, dey also a dictator.”

“I have a lot of beef with the TVA, but at least they don’t hypnotize people and put them under spells,” said Blade.

“Unless ya count mind wipin ’.”

“…The point I’m trying to make is we might not have the freedom to make certain choices under the TVA, but at least people are free to live their lives without being forced to do the dirty work of a bloody vampire.”

“Bein’ forced ta murder someone for Dracula ain’t my idea of livin’,” Mini Gambit growled. He whipped out his little bo staff and charged it.

“Thori not work for no foul vampire!” The Hel-Hound spewed flames. “Murder him! Death to Dracula!”

“Who knows? We migh’ find our way back to de timeline someday. An’ ah like ta t’ink dere’ll still be a timeline ta go back to or one worth goin’ back to.”

“Ah agree!” Mini Gambit squeaked.

“I agree, too,” said Child Loki. “My family is still there.”

“All of us have family there,” said No Eyes Loki. “We owe it to them if no one else. We might not exist there anymore but nothing says we can’t protect our loved ones from here.”

Gambit smiled. “Sorta like guardian angels, yah?”

No Eyes Loki smiled and nodded.

“Oh please. Let’s not turn this mawkish. I may get ill.” President Loki rolled his eyes.

“Wha’? Ya don’ have family an’ friends on de timeline?” Gambit frowned in the trickster’s direction.

“Of course I do, fool, but what have they ever done for me that they deserve me to save them?”

Gambit mumbled something in Cajun French under his breath. He yelped when Miss Minutes pinched his ear.

“So what’s the plan?” Thori asked.

“We’ve gotta locate his lairs,” Blade answered thoughtfully. “Both here and at the TVA.”

“Someone needa go to de TVA first,” said Gambit. “We migh’ find out all we needa know dere.”

“Which of us do you propose should do that?” President Loki asked coldly.

“Ah’ll go. Miss Minutes, she can take me dere.” He hoped no one would ask how, although he caught a look from President Loki.

Blade shook his head and pointed at the Cajun. “Uh-uh. You’ve gotta sore butt waiting for you.”

Gambit drew back into his coat, his cheeks flushing. He glanced at President Loki’s satisfied smile then up at Miss Minutes. His eyes, then, rested on Mini Gambit’s concerned face.

“We’ll discuss details after you’ve been properly dealt with,” Blade continued. He nodded at Miss Minutes. “I think this meeting’s just about over.”

No, it couldn’t be over this soon! Gambit swallowed.

When the group broke up, Miss Minutes led Gambit back to his room, Thori following after them. Mini Gambit followed as far as the living room doorway and stopped. He looked sorrowfully at his other self. When he walked into the living room again, he turned and addressed Blade.

“Ya ain’t plannin’ ta spank me, too, right?”

Blade lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “Just depends. I’m not opposed to it if that’s what you’re hinting at. Why? You planning to do something to earn one?”

Mini Gambit swallowed and shrank away. “N-n-non, mon ami!”

Blade kept his eyes on the little Cajun as he walked off with Jeff and disappeared down the hallway to the bedrooms.

“B-b-but dis all wrong! Ya can’ spank me, cher! You my friend!” Gambit was saying when Miss Minutes closed the door.

“So? Whut difference does that make? Ah’m also yer guardian, remember? Besides, ah already whooped ya last night.”

“Dat wasn’t really a spankin’.” Gambit gave his bottom a brisk rub. “Even though it did hurt.”

“Yes, it wuz.” The clock snatched up the brush. “It wuz a warnin’—a warnin’ of what you’ll get if ya don’t behave.”

Gambit eyed the brush and took a few steps back.

“Ah care ‘bout ya, Remy. Ah know you’re still sensitive from President Loki’s abuse. You and ah both know Blade’s dagger or belt woulda made it worse. He doesn’t know how bad yer bottom looks or whut ya went through. Ah do. Ah jus’ figured ah could do it where it doesn’t pain ya any more than it’s supposed ta.”

Gambit’s bottom lip trembled.

“Believe me, hun, ah don’t wanna do this to ya, but if ah don’t, Blade will. An’ ah don’t wanna see him do it.”

“C-can’ we jus’ pretend ya did an’ say we did?”

“Remy, ya know better than that.”

Gambit tightened his mouth and nodded.

“C’mon, sweetheart, on yer tummy.”

He hesitated.

“Remy.”

Gambit stood silently and fingered one of the buttons on his coat.

“Tha longer ya stand there, tha longer this is gunna take.”

He put his hands in his pockets and looked everywhere but at the clock.

“Ah ain’t leavin’.”

Gambit heaved a heavy sigh, pulled off his coat, and laid it on the foot of the bed. He moved into place beside the bed. “H-h-how ya gonna administer it?” he asked grimly.

“Whut do ya mean?” She held up the brush. “Ah’m gonna use this.”

“Ah meant; ya wan’ me ta pull my britches down?”

“Oh…uh…Yeah, that would be good.”

Gambit pulled his pants down to his knees. “W-wha’ ‘bout my undies?” He hoped she would tell him to leave them in place.

“Yes, they need ta come down, too. Ah need ta see where to strike so ah don’t hit ya where President Loki did.”

Letting out a whimper, Gambit slowly pulled down his boxers to his knees. He put his hands in front of his privates.

“Don’t worry, ah ain’t gonna look where ah don’t need ta.” She motioned for him to lie on the bed, giving his bottom a pat with the brush. “Lie on tha bed, Remy.”

A prickling chill crept down his back when the cold surface of the brush made contact with his skin. He glanced over his shoulder and then did as the clock instructed.

After examining the damage left by President Loki’s crop, Miss Minutes said, “Okay, yer bottom looks a lot better than it did, but there’s still a lil’ bit of bruisin’. Ah’m gonna focus on yer underside an’ thighs, ‘cause most of tha bruisin’ is on yer cheeks.”

“B-b-but, petite, it hurt worse dere!” he whined.

“Ah’m sorry, sweetie, but ah don’ wanna hit ya where tha bruisin’ is. That’s why ah didn’t want Blade doin’ it. Hittin’ ya with that dagger or belt of his might reopen those gashes or make it more bruised.”

Gambit swallowed and clenched the bedsheets.

“Ah’m gonna need ya ta move ‘round where ya legs are hangin’ off tha side of tha bed, sugah.”

Gambit’s heart sank, and he buried his face in his pillow. “Ah’m sorry!” he said in a muffled voice that was barely audible.

Frowning, Miss Minutes gave his bottom another pat with the brush. “Remy, ah need ya ta do as ah say.”

Gambit quickly raised his head and sniffled. “Dat brush don’ feel comfortable on ma bum.”

“Jus’ wait until ah really start ta use it.”

“Cher, please. Ah’m sorry.”

“Ah’m glad ya are.” She motioned for him to turn into the position she wanted.

“Ain’t dere anythin’ ah can say ta change ya mind?”

“No, Remy, ya ain’t gettin’ outta this that easy. And don’t ya think of usin’ yer charmin’ speech on me. It ain’t gunna work. Ya brought this on yerself, and now ya gotta pay.” She gave his bottom another pat with the brush, firmer this time. “Now, move. Ah ain’t gunna tell ya again.”

After moving into the new position, Gambit lay there with tears cropping his eyes and stared at Thori beside him. The pup watched intently with what looked like an amused smirk on his mouth, his chew bone between his front paws.

“Ya enjoyin’ dis, ain’t ya?”

“A little,” Thori answered. “As long as Baby Cajun not seriously hurt, I find it amusing that you still earn yourself spankings.”

Gambit frowned.

“Nice butt, by the way.”

“Yah, don’ ya go gettin’ any ideas.” His eyes widened when he felt the hairbrush make contact with his backside, stinging pain blossoming across his sensitive underside. “OW!” he cried out with a wince and jolted forward.

“Thori don’t need to do anything. Clock lady make your butt bright red and hot,” said Thori with a snicker, which earned him another hard glare from the Cajun.

“Do ya hafta be in here righ’ now?” Another hard, stinging swat made him wince and tighten his grip on the bedsheets.

“I don’t mind. It doesn’t bother Thori.”

“Dat ain’t wha’ ah… Oh, never mind…” Another swat came down with a POP. “YEOW!” Gambit cried out. “Not so hard, petite!”

“It wouldn’t be uh spankin’ otherwise.” The clock rolled her eyes. “Ya better be glad ah’m goin’ as easy as ah am.”

Gambit chewed on the sheet.

“I guess this means we don’t get pancakes?” Thori asked.

Gambit hit the pup with a pillow.

“Just asking! Sheesh!” Thori moved away and settled at the foot of the bed, on top of Gambit’s coat.

“YEEOWW!!” Gambit cried out when Miss Minutes brought the brush down hard in repeated succession on the underside of his left cheek and then his right. He kicked his legs. “Miss Minutes, pleassse! Ah beg ya!”

“Uh-uh, Remy, no kickin’.”

“Ah can’ help it!” he gasped out. “It hurt!”

She swatted the backs of both thighs, and Gambit squirmed and bucked.

“Ah said, no kickin’, Remy.”

“Ya try not ta kick when someone’s spankin’ ya!” he groused.

Miss Minutes smacked the underside of his butt hard.

“OWWW!!” Gambit arched his back.

“Ah don’ appreciate tha smart mouth, Remy.”

Gambit gasped.

“If ya can’t keep yer legs still…” Miss Minutes’ size grew larger.

“Wha’ de??” Gambit’s eyes widened as he watched her grow big enough to sit on the bed beside him. She placed one of her thin legs over his legs, pinning them in place, and rested a hand in the middle of his back.

“Don’t worry. Ah ain’t gunna restrain ya much, but ah ain’t gunna put up with ya kickin’.”

“Please, petite! Ah’ve learn ma lesson. Ah ain’t gonna lie or keep anythin’ from my teammates no more!”

Miss Minutes nodded. She accepted his confession, but she also knew he was partly saying it to get out of the spanking, which she wasn’t going to allow. Without another word, she fell into a steady rhythm, laying the hairbrush down in brisk strokes one after the other until they blended into each other. She focused on his underside at first and from there, moved down his thighs.

Gambit cried out his misery with each swat. He clutched the sheets in his fists and twisted them, at times pulling them up to cover his face.

The clock took great care to stay away from the bruised and abused areas of his bottom, focusing mostly on his thighs and underside, much to Gambit’s dismay. A time or two, she did swat his cheeks.

“OW!” Gambit cried out and arched his back after an especially hard swat took a bite out of his underside. He couldn’t help but wiggle his bottom. “Petite!”

“Yes, hun?”

Gambit shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, tears spilling down his cheeks. He gasped.

Miss Minutes gave him a sympathetic smile and continued laying down the brush. She spanked the Cajun for a good fifteen minutes until the backs of his thighs and his underside were a cherry red. After applying one last swat to the little burning rear, she stopped. “Okay, it’s done.” She put the brush back on the night table.

Gambit nodded, but he was sobbing too hard and was in too much pain to speak. He buried his face in the sheets and cried harder.

Miss Minutes patted his back with an oversized hand. “There, there, hun, it’s over.”

“Ah’m sorry,” his muffled voice wailed. “Ah ain’t never gon’ withhold information again.”

“Ah believe ya.” Miss Minutes patted and smoothed his hair. “If’n ya gunna be part of a team, Remy, ya gotta think what’s best for yer teammates.”

“Ah know. Ah was gonna tell ‘em,” he choked out.

“Ya know it would’ve been too late, Remy. Ya shoulda told ‘em about Dracula an’ Alioth immediately. Withholdin’ that information wuz reckless an’ ya know it. Ya coulda been killed along with everyone else!”

“Ah jus’ wanted ta make sure it was Dracula.”

“Dracula or not, someone was tryin’ ta kill ya, an’ ya shoulda told tha others!” She gave him a hard smack with her hand.

Gambit jerked forward and choked out a sob at feeling the burning pain reignited by the swat. “Ah’m sorry!”

“That one wuz from me.”

Gambit choked on his hitched breathing as more tears gushed from his eyes. His bottom lip quivered and he sniffled long and hard before burying his face in the bedsheets again, too ashamed to look at the clock.

After Miss Minutes pulled his boxers back in place gently, she shrank down to her normal size and waited for Gambit to compose himself, giving him as much time as needed. She stayed around his head and gave his hair gentle pats.

When ten minutes passed, Gambit made an effort to get up. He wiped his face and nose on the sheet and slowly slid backward to stand on his feet.

“Owwwwwww!” he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut. “Ma butt an’ legs feel like dey on fire!”

Thori’s ears perked up.

Gambit held up a finger. “Ah don’ wanna hear a word from you!”

Miss Minutes flew toward him and caressed his head. “Ah know, sweetheart.” She kissed his forehead and smoothed his hair. “But ah had ta make this moment memorable.”

Gambit stood up and straightened, wincing and hissing more. He slid his hands behind him and began rubbing the blazing inferno that radiated heat through his boxers. “Hoo Lawd! Dis gon’ be memorable fo sure, yah.”

“At least my work didn’t seriously hurt ya, unlike tha President.”

Gambit nodded and sniffed hard. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Ah’m sorry for makin’ mistakes.”

“You’re forgiven.” She kissed his forehead again. “Everyone makes mistakes, Remy. Ah’m glad ya can admit ya make them.”

Gambit shook his head. “Ah ain’t Loki.”

Miss Minutes chuckled.

Looking down, Gambit sniffled again. “Trust me when ah say ah’ve made lotta mistakes in ma lifetime. Some of dem haunt me.”

“Awww…” Miss Minutes snuggled around his face.

He smiled and lifted a hand to caress her. “Ah serious, petite. If ya only knew half de t’ings ah’ve done…” He swallowed.

Miss Minutes pulled away and regarded him with concern.

“Dat don’ matter now, tho.” Gambit leaned over and eased his pants back up and put on his coat. “Ah gotta go back to de TVA, petite. Ah gotta find out wha’ goin’ on wit’ Dracula.”

“Ya can’t do that, Remy.”

“An’ why not?”

“Mobius might see ya.”

“So?”

“Goin’ back means ya risk Mobius gettin’ his memory wiped, ‘cause as far as he knows, yer dead. He doesn’t know about tha Void—he ain’t meant ta know about it. Goin’ back means ya ruin that for him, which means he has to have his memory wiped. An’ him gettin’ his memory wiped means he might not remember knowin’ ya.” Miss Minutes took a breath and sighed. “It’s complicated…”

“But…ya gave me a tempad so ah can return…”

Miss Minutes shook her head. “Ah only gave it to ya in case ya changed yer mind about workin’ for tha TVA. Ah woulda found uh way ta put ya back into tha system. Whut ya wanna do is different. Ya just wanna walk in there an’ find information an’ come back. Ya can’t do that. Yer’re riskin’ Mobius’ life as well as yer own.”

Gambit’s brow furrowed and his mouth worked as he continued rubbing his backside, sniffling occasionally. “It de chance ah hafta take, petite. We gotta know where Dracula’s hidin’ in de TVA.”

“Ah told ya ah can find out for ya. No problem.”

“But if he shapeshiftin’, he could look like anyone. Ya need me dere in case he turns ugly.” He whipped out and held up a card with one hand while the other nursed his rear.

Miss Minutes touched the card with the tip of her finger. “Ya powers don’ work there, remember?”

“Oh yah…” Gambit’s face fell, and he lowered the card. With determination, he said, “Well, ah’m still goin’ wit’ ya. An’ ya ain’t gonna make me do otherwise.”

Miss Minutes put her hands on her hips. “Do ah need ta spank ya again?”

Gambit shook his head and whimpered. He clasped his bottom. “Non! Non, non!”

“Ah told ya, ya can’t go.”

“Ah wanna see Mobius again.”

“Remy, if ya care about him, don’t do this.”

“Ah hafta. Ah wanna make up for all de wrong ah’ve done.”

“That’s already been addressed when ah spanked ya.”

“Ah know, but ah still wanna do dis for de others.” Gambit looked up at the clock with red, teary eyes. “Please, petite?”

Miss Minutes sighed wearily. “Tha Time Keepers ain’t gunna like this. Ah swear, ya bring as much chaos to our lives as Loki does.”

Gambit smirked. “Dat’s why ya like me, yah?”

Miss Minutes smiled and kissed his nose. “Yer jus’ too dang adorable.”

Grinning, Gambit pulled out his tempad.

Miss Minutes looked from him to the tempad and back again. “Wait, Remy. Ya gonna go there now??”

“Sure. Why not?”

“But…tha others…”

“We tell ‘em when we get back.”

“Remy!”

Gambit punched a few buttons, bringing up a menu and choosing the destination, and a time door appeared in the middle of the room. He stepped forward but was yanked back by a small hand pinching his ear.

“OW!” He winced and craned his head around to look at the clock. “Wha’ ya doin’??”

“If ya walk through that door, ah’m gonna blister yer heinie again!”

Gambit jerked out of the clock’s hold and ran through the door, Thori bounding after him.

“REMY!”

Chapter Text

Mobius walked down one of the TVA’s hallways while carrying a stack of files in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. It wasn’t even time for lunch yet, and he was already looking forward to the end of the day. Most of his morning had been spent in Renslayer’s office, getting scolded for bringing another Loki variant into the TVA that almost wrecked the place. In his defense, he told her he had no idea that Hulk Loki would be so easily triggered by the little unicorn sticker on his folder, go into a raging fit, and smash through eight walls before the hunters could prune him. He didn’t even know how that unicorn sticker got on the folder in the first place.

A time door suddenly appeared in front of him and made him skid to a stop. He looked in bewilderment as Gambit stepped through the gold portal, followed by Thori and Miss Minutes. The clock flew forward and grabbed the Cajun by the ear.

“Ow! Petite!” Gambit hissed. “Will ya stop doin’ dat??”

“Yer’re in so much trouble, mister! Ah… Mobius!” Miss Minutes let go of Gambit when her eyes landed on the analyst. She hadn’t expected them to come out in front of him.

“Remy?” Mobius breathed as he walked closer. He dropped his coffee, the mug shattering when it hit the hard floor. Startled, he glanced at it and then turned his eyes to the Cajun again, not believing what he was seeing.

Grinning, Gambit said, “Ah’m back, Mobius. Ya can’ keep a good Cajun down, no.” He peered down at the broken mug and pool of brown liquid. “Sorry ah startled ya.”

“Ah’ll get someone in here ta clean it up,” said Miss Minutes.

Mobius glanced at Miss Minutes, then back to Gambit. His expression told that he was still confused. “But…how? I saw you prune yourself. I saw you die.”

Gambit and Miss Minutes shared a knowing glance. “It long story. People don’ die when ya prune ‘em. Dey jus’ go to de Void.”

“The Void? Is that some kind of afterlife?”

“Ya can say dat, yah. An’ I’mma ghost. De less ya know, de better.” Gambit limped forward and hugged Mobius. “Ah jus’ glad ta see ya again.”

Mobius wrapped his free arm around Gambit and patted him on the back. “I’m glad to see you, too, big guy.”

Gambit pulled away and sniffled while pocketing the tempad he still held in his hand.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“Ain’t nuttin’,” Gambit said quickly.

Mobius noticed the mutant was rubbing his rear and doing it in a way that told him he was trying to hide the action. He glanced between Miss Minutes and Gambit. The smallest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He cleared his throat and turned his eyes to Thori. “And who is this?”

“Dis Thori. He one of my new friends.”

Thori wagged his tail and peered up at the analyst, flames coming out of his mouth.

Despite himself, Mobius took a few steps back. “What is he?”

“He a Hel-Hound. Don’ worry. He won’ hurt ya if he likes ya, but he will burn ya butt.”

Mobius lifted his eyebrows. “Wh-what do you mean by that?”

Gambit laughed lightly. “It don’ hurt. It feel uncomfortable, but it don’ hurt. Feels like warm air.”

Thori sniffed Mobius, walking a complete circle around him. “Mustache man okay. Thori like.” He glanced around the corridor. “Drab, disgusting place, though. Might pee on it later—or poo. Can’t decide. Might do both.”

Keeping his eyes on the pup, Mobius asked, “So…um…what brings you back here? Besides wanting to see your old friend?”

“We need ta look up information on uh Dracula variant workin’ here,” Miss Minutes answered.

“Come again?” Mobius looked from Miss Minutes to Gambit and back again, his brow furrowing. “What’s going on?”

“De TVA an’ de timeline are in danger from an’ inside threat.”

“What kind of threat?”

Miss Minutes took a deep breath. “We have reason ta believe uh Dracula variant employed here is plannin’ ta invade tha TVA an’ take over tha Sacred Timeline.”

Mobius threw Gambit a questioning look.

“We t’ink he buildin’ an’ army, an’ he usin’ de TVA ta hide in.”

“Tha-that’s impossible. Isn’t it?” He shifted his gaze to Miss Minutes again.

“We do have uh Dracula variant employed here—after his memories were erased an’ he wuz reset.”

“Okay…uh…maybe we should go somewhere and talk about this.” Mobius stepped around Thori carefully.

“Ah jus’ wanna know how we gon’ find Dracula when he can look like anyone? It like huntin’ needle in haystack.”

“We can look through the employee files,” said Mobius.

“Wait. Whut employee files?”

Mobius studied the clock. “The employee files. You know, the ones in the library? The ones the TVA makes for every person who works here as part of our records.”

“Ohh, those employee files.” Miss Minutes looked relieved.

“Yeah, those employee files…” Mobius eyed her curiously. “What did you think I meant?”

“Nothin’!”

Mobius continued walking forward. “Let’s go to the library. We can discuss this in depth there.”

Gambit filled Mobius in on everything concerning Dracula while they walked to the elevator and rode it to the floor that held the TVA’s massive library.

Mobius’ head swam as he struggled to process everything. “Okay. Assume for a second I believe you. How did Dracula get his memories back? I mean…on the rare occasions we do take in variants to work here…once a variant is rehabilitated and has his or her memories wiped, isn’t that it?”

Gambit wanted to say something—wanted to tell Mobius he’s a variant—but he kept his mouth shut after catching a look from Miss Minutes.

“We dunno. That’s whut we aim ta find out,” said Miss Minutes. Gambit opened his mouth to say something again, but she cut him off with a warning glare. “There have been instances where variants we take in have gotten some memories back. We hafta repeat tha wipin’ process when that happens.”

“If it was anyone else telling me this, I wouldn’t believe them, but since you’re in on it, I’ve got no choice. It all sounds too unreal to believe. You mean to tell me when we prune a variant, the variant is transported to another…dimension realm…or whatever? Why did I not know this? All this time, I thought we killed them.”

“Yamigh’swellbedead…” Gambit mumbled.

Miss Minutes moved restlessly, uncomfortable with Mobius’ questions. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“Right now, we jus’ needa locate him an’ find out where his second lair is in de Void so we can stop him,” Gambit finally said aloud, choosing his words carefully.

“That should be easy if you can get his tempad. You can access a log of places it’s previously locked onto.”

“How we gon’ do dat?”

Mobius shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time.” While talking, they had stopped in an area of the library full of shelves upon shelves of folders. “Here are the employee files, but how are we gonna locate Dracula’s? We don’t even know which department he was assigned to. The files are grouped by department.”

“An’ ah know he ain’t usin’ his real name,” said Gambit.

“That’s a good point.”

“Hmm… Whut about tha supernatural department? We could start there.”

“Now, why didn’t I think of that?” Mobius chuckled. He walked down the length of the main aisle, stopped, and disappeared down another aisle. A few minutes later, he came out with his arms full of folders. “We’ll have to look through each one until we find something that grabs us.”

Gambit took some of the folders to help Mobius. “Are dese all dere is?”

“No, there are more—a lot more. These are just to start with.”

“Dis gonna take a long time.”

“Maybe not if the three of us work on them.”

Mobius led them to one of the library’s private, cozy tables nestled inside a recess in the study area. The walkway to them was opened on the opposite side and overlooked the other levels and a huge statue of the Time Keepers positioned in the center. No one else was around, so they had the nook all to themselves, which suited Gambit just fine. The way his backside felt, he welcomed being alone so he could nurse his discomfort without strangers staring at him with unspoken questions. He dumped his armload of files on the table and commenced to doing just that.

“This is high up,” Thori commented while he peered up at the other levels. He walked around and explored and sniffed everything. “Maybe Thori find Dracula.”

“Don’ ya go peein’ on anythin’,” Gambit called after the pup. Not that he cared since it was the TVA. He just didn’t want any more upsets happening.

Thori didn’t reply as he scampered down the walkway.

“Won’t you have a seat?” said Mobius, waving his hand toward one of the chairs.

Gambit shook his head. “Non, ah’ll stand if dat’s okay.”

Mobius lifted an eyebrow, noting the redness in the Cajun’s cheeks. He eyed the young man’s hands, which were tucked behind him. “May I ask why?”

“Jus’ feel like standin’ is all.”

Mobius turned to Miss Minutes. The clock smirked and lowered her eyes to the files. An amused smile formed on Mobius’ lips. “Um…could it be because you’re sore?” he whispered. “Maybe from a spanking?”

With his hands still behind him, Gambit nudged the carpet with the toe of his boot. “How ya know?” he asked softly.

“It’s sorta obvious the way you keep rubbing your butt. Not to mention, your face.” Mobius gestured with his finger. “Like I said, you look like you’ve been crying.”

Gambit swallowed, his cheeks flushing a deeper red.

“You must have gotten it right before you came here.”

Gambit nodded.

“The chairs are padded…” Mobius pointed out. “You sure you won’t have a seat?”

Gambit didn’t respond as he stared at the floor.

Mobius patted the Cajun’s shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. “It’s alright, bud. You can stand if you want. Doesn’t matter. I’m just glad to have you back.”

The Cajun smiled.

“Although I am curious to know who did the honors.”

Gambit’s mouth twitched, and he pointed at Miss Minutes.

Mobius turned a shocked face to the clock.

“Ah ain’t never gonna look at my hairbrush de same way again.” Gambit ran his hands down the backs of his thighs. “Woo, she know how ta light a fire.”

“Yeah, and ah’m gunna light another one when we get back.” Miss Minutes scowled at him.

Gambit cowered.

Mobius lifted his eyebrows and gave the Cajun a quizzical look. “What did you do?”

Miss Minutes flitted around behind Gambit. “He’s been uh naughty boy.” She gave his bottom a playful swat through the split in his coattails. “Haven’t ya?”

Gambit stiffened and nodded. “Ah…ah…uh…ah withheld information from ma teammates.”

“Annnnd ya just took off on yer own an’ came here…without tellin’ yer teammates,” Miss Minutes added right before applying another swat to the mutant’s bottom. “Which yer’re gunna get uh whippin’ for when we get back.”

Mobius tightened his mouth, trying to hide his smile. “Uh…Miss Minutes, if you’d like to do that now, you know you can use one of the Time Theaters,” he said softly. “And you’re more than welcome to use my ruler.”

Gambit’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Non! Oh, please…!” His mouth opened and closed as he turned pleading eyes to the clock and uttered a whimper. “Ah’m still sore from de first one. Ah can’ take no more!”

“Ah should.” She regarded him for a minute and then smiled. She patted his hair and skritched his cheek. “But ah won’t.”

Gambit sighed in relief.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” Miss Minutes whispered. She led the Cajun over to stand beside the table and ran her hand over his hair and smoothed it.

“What?” Gambit asked when he saw the amused smile on Mobius’ face.

“Look at you two,” Mobius mused. “It’s like a mother and her baby.” He turned his eyes to the clock. “No wonder you missed him so much.”

Gambit’s face turned redder. “Ah ain’t her baby an’ she ain’t ma momma. She jus’ ma friend.”

“Are you sure?”

Gambit frowned. “‘Course ah’m sure.” He glanced at the clock and shifted on his feet. “Right?”

Miss Minutes pinched his nose. “Whatever ya say, sugah.”

Mobius laughed and patted Gambit on the back before sitting in one of the chairs. “Alright, let’s see what we can find.”

All eyes turned to Gambit, however, when he pulled out the cushioned chair beside Mobius and eased down into it. He winced and hissed when his bottom touched the seat, but he managed to sit regardless. The padded seat cushion did feel soothing to his still smoldering rear.

“Woo, mercy…” Gambit squirmed around in an attempt to get into a more comfortable position.

Miss Minutes crossed her arms. “Let that be uh lesson to ya, mister.”

Gambit frowned at her.

“Don’t give me that look.”

“Or wha’? Ya gonna whoop me again?”

“Ah might.”

“She must have really done a job on ya.”

“She did.” Gambit finally found a semi-comfortable position and adjusted his coat. “She warm my underside an’ legs good.”

Mobius lifted his hand to hide a smile. He nudged Gambit’s arm with his elbow. “You need me to get you an ice pack?”

“Er…non. Dat okay.” If his face could turn any redder, it did. He winced. “On second thought…”

“No, Mobius, he needs ta learn somethin’ from it,” said Miss Minutes. “He ain’t gunna learn if’n ya make it comfortable.”

“Just one little ice pack won’t hurt…”

Miss Minutes shook her head.

Gambit slid his hands under him.

At that moment, Thori returned from exploring and jumped up in the chair opposite. His ears perked up. “Baby Cajun okay?” he asked when he saw the pained expression on Gambit’s face.

Mobius regarded the mutant with a puzzled look. “Baby Cajun?”

Gambit smiled sheepishly.

A smile curved Mobius’ mouth. “Why does he call you that?”

“Erm…no reason.”

Miss Minutes turned away to hide a knowing smile.

“Because I feel like it,” Thori said. “I can call you Brush Face if I want to. Stupid TVA worker.”

Mobius raised his eyebrows at the Hel-Hound’s rudeness. He noted Gambit’s reluctance to say anymore, choosing instead to keep his eyes lowered.

Gambit didn’t want to answer the analyst’s question. It was a secret that far too many people knew already. Then again…this might be the last time he saw Mobius—a painful thought that stabbed at his heart. What would it hurt if he knew the secret too? He shifted his eyes to the older man, who was smiling back at him with the warmest of smiles…like a father. Mobius had been a father to him ever since they met, and he admitted to himself that being next to him again felt comforting—like the man could somehow protect him from The Void and all the misery it contained.

“He…calls me dat ‘cause he saw me suckin’ my thumb,” Gambit finally answered in a low voice. He swallowed. “Ah…ah still suck my thumb when ah sleep.”

“Remy.”

Gambit held up his hand to Miss Minutes. “Non, it okay. Ah don’ mind tellin’ him.”

Mobius’ smile grew wider, warmer.

“He still sucks his thumb and still gets spankings,” Thori laughed.

“Hush up!” Gambit snapped.

“That’s enough,” Mobius scolded gently, like he was breaking up a fight between two kids.

“Ah know ya asked me dat when ah first arrived here. Well, ya were right.”

“I know.”

A look of surprise washed over Gambit’s face. “Wha’? Ya already knew? But…how?”

Mobius chuckled. “When I came to your cell later that night, you were curled up asleep in the corner, and you had your thumb stuck pretty tightly in your mouth. At the time, I just figured it was a stress-induced reaction brought on by the shock you were experiencing.” His smile grew wider. “But now I know it wasn’t.”

Gambit lowered his eyes to the table.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Mobius rubbed and patted the Cajun’s back. “I haven’t told anyone.”

Gambit nodded. “It actually feels sorta good ta have it out in de open.”

“It’s okay, bud. No one’s gonna judge you here.” He grabbed a handful of folders and pushed a stack toward the Cajun. “Now, let’s see what we can do about finding Dracula. Hm?”

Gambit leaned forward carefully and picked up a file. “Wouldn’t he look like himself since powers don’ work here?”

“That all depends on how his shifting works,” Mobius answered. “If it’s an ability that comes naturally, which I’m assuming it is, he might be able to shift if he figured out he can do it after getting some of his memories back. If it’s by magic, he won’t be able to do it.”

“If it’s natural, den why won’ ma powers work here? Mine are natural.”

“Because you’re a mutant. We have security put in place that specifically blocks anything that could be threatening to the safety of our workers. Magic and mutant powers are two of the major ones. Dracula is a supernatural, undead creature. He’s not a mutant.”

“Okay, mais still…”

“It’s complicated.”

“Everythin’ in dis place is…”

“Normally, shapeshifting is neutralized by our security since it does pose a threat. Loki’s shapeshifting, as an example. However, there are rare instances where it doesn’t work if the person in question can shapeshift in a way that gets around our security. A loophole, so to speak. It’s happened a time or two, which means we have to adjust our security. It just depends on the nature of the variant, though. Since Dracula is a vampire—a creature of darkness—I’m not sure how that works—natural or magic or…something else like dark matter.” Mobius picked up a file and opened it. “Another possibility is he was already shifted into another form when he was taken from the timeline, and he stayed that way when they brought him here, not able to shift back because of our security.”

“That sounds plausible,” said Miss Minutes as she opened a folder.

“But, which one is he…”

“That’s gonna be a lot of work.” Mobius scratched the back of his neck. “Especially since we don’t know what he looks like in his ‘other’ form.”

“Tha only way ta find him is ta go with tha person that best matches his normal appearance.”

“Assuming his shifted form matches it. We’re talking about a legendary monster who’s known to shapeshift into a bat, a wolf, and even vapor. If his main objective is to blend in, he’s not gonna choose a noticeable form.”

“Dat’s a good point,” said Gambit.

Thori’s ears twitched. “Wolf? He shapeshift to Hel-Hound?”

“Ah’m sure he can.”

“All we can do is try.” Mobius handed some of the files to Miss Minutes.

They spent two hours poring over files with very few results. As Mobius pointed out before they started, Dracula could be anyone pictured in the files, and they wouldn’t know. They placed files they labeled as ‘possibilities’ in a separate pile with plans to return to them later. Halfway through, Mobius got up and brought back another armload of folders, which he surmised was another two hours’ worth of work he wasn’t looking forward to. After plopping down in his chair, he looked over at Gambit. The Cajun was sound asleep with his head resting on the table and a thumb in his mouth, sucking gently.

“Awww, Mobius, just look at him,” Miss Minutes cooed.

Mobius smiled.

Miss Minutes adjusted Gambit’s coat collar and ran her hand over his hair. “Tha poor dear is exhausted.”

“I would imagine so,” said Mobius softly with a chuckle. “After all, getting your butt spanked does take a lot out of a person.”

Miss Minutes kissed Gambit’s head and stroked his hair. The mutant moved in his sleep and pushed his thumb tighter in his mouth, curling his fingers over his nose.

“You like him, don’t you?”

“Whut makes ya say that?”

“The way you mother him.”

Miss Minutes waved him off. “Pffft. Ah do no such thing.”

“Could have fooled me. You’ve done everything but give him a bottle.”

“She already did that to baby Baby Cajun,” said Thori.

“Thori!”

“Who’s that?”

“Tha other Remy.”

“You found a Gambit variant in that…Void place?”

Miss Minutes nodded. “Uh tiny one that looks similar to tha lil’ Azazel.”

“Aw!” Mobius grinned. “He must be a cutie.”

Miss Minutes coughed. “Yeah, he is.”

“Cute enough that she pushed a pacifier in his mouth.” Thori laughed.

“Will ya be quiet?”

Thori’s tail wagged and thumped against the chair.

The clock settled down beside the Cajun’s head. “Mobius…”

“Hm?”

She sighed. “Nothin’.” She studied the sleeping mutant thoughtfully. She wished there was a way to keep him at the TVA so she could keep him safe. Or rather, she wished there was a way to convince him to stay. Smiling, she snuggled up to him.

“Yeah, you two just go ahead and rest while I do all the work,” said Mobius, chuckling.

Thori yawned. “Thori hungry.”

“Yeah, I am too,” Mobius mumbled.

“Didn’t get pancakes.”

Mobius looked up. “What? Pancakes?”

“Baby Cajun cook pancakes.”

Mobius glanced at the Cajun and back to Thori. “He cooks?”

“Yes.”

Mobius looked at Gambit again. “I must have missed seeing that bit of info in his file.” He turned his attention back to the file in his hands.

After thirty minutes passed, Mobius nudged Gambit’s shoulder. “Hey, wake up! Wake up, bud. I think I found something.”

“Hnnnn… Wha’?” Gambit’s eyes fluttered open. He took his thumb out of his mouth and straightened up.

“I think I found something.” Mobius held up a file. “What about this one? It says his name is Victor. Aka Hunter V-66. Does he favor Dracula?”

“He could be.” Gambit took the file and looked at it closer. The man in the photo had sharply chiseled facial features and snow white hair that was slicked back and tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck. A pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Even though it could be any normal human, something about him sent alarm bells going off in the Cajun’s head. He traced a finger over the face, stopping at his ears. “He do have sorta pointed ears. But it too obvious, yah? It can’ be dis easy.”

“It says he’s one of the high-ranking hunters who leads minutemen on missions to prune supernatural threats to the Sacred Timeline.”

“Wha’ dat mean?”

“He’s a hunter like B-15,” Mobius explained. “Nothing unusual about it. Like the mutant department, we have a supernatural department that’s specially trained in handling those types of variants—werewolves, vampires, ghosts, cryptids, and that sort of thing. A high-ranking hunter leads a team of minutemen out on the field.”

Gambit studied the photo. “Out of all de ones we’ve looked tru, dis one look a lot like Dracula. Or what Dracula would look like if he was human, yah. Ah wish ah could show Blade. He’d know more dan anyone.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Gambit turned his eyes to Mobius.

“We go to the supernatural department and confront him—see what happens.”

“Ya t’ink dat’s wise?”

Mobius shrugged. “No more dangerous than what normally goes on around here.” He smiled. “Before we do that, though. Would you be interested in having lunch with me? Or is this a matter of you needing to get all this done as soon as possible?”

Gambit shifted his eyes to Miss Minutes. She nodded.

“Ah t’ink ah got time for dat, yah.”

“Great! I’ll get you a pillow,” Mobius whispered.

The small group entered the almost empty cafeteria and picked out a table near the large window. Thori jumped up in one of the chairs and put his front paws on it, his tongue hanging out of his flaming mouth.

“Thori want something good.”

“Here ya go,” said Mobius as he placed a plump pillow on Gambit’s chair. “Seems like you’re always needing this when we eat together. Why is that?”

Gambit’s face flushed. He sidestepped and sat down gingerly. “No comment.”

Mobius patted his back. “So, what do you want?”

“Ah’ll take gumbo an’ some pizza.”

“Okay. And what does—Thori, right?—want?”

“Thori want everything,” the pup yapped. “Except Brussels sprouts. Death to sprouts! Thori murder them. Murder, murder, murder, murder! Murder sprouts!”

“Er…okay.” Mobius side-eyed Gambit.

Gambit just shrugged.

“No sprouts for the demon puppy. Got it.”

After Mobius left to get the food, Gambit shifted on his chair and adjusted the pillow. He winced when pain shot through his thighs.

Thori snickered.

“It ain’t funny,” Gambit snapped.

“To me it is.”

“It ain’t your bum dat’s hurtin’.” He leaned to the side and rubbed his bottom and left thigh.

Miss Minutes patted his head. “There, there, Remy, it’ll heal in time.”

Gambit turned an annoyed glare up at her but held back what he felt like saying. In a low voice, he said, “Ah don’ see why it hurt for Mobius ta give me an ice pack…”

“Cuz ah want ya ta learn from this,” Miss Minutes answered. “Bein’ reminded every time ya sit down is part of tha spankin’s punishment.”

“Ya got dat right…” Gambit mumbled.

“It sticks with ya an’ helps ya learn not ta make poor choices,” the clock continued like she was addressing a group of school kids.

Gambit sighed and squirmed. “Ah already learned ma lesson, cher. Can ah please hava ice pack?” he whined.

Miss Minutes put her hands on her hips.

Gambit shrank away from the clock’s piercing stare and changed the subject. “Ah wish we could bring de others here. Jus’ ta give ‘em a chance ta get outta de Void for a lil’ while an’ have a decent meal.”

“We can’t do that, Remy,” said Miss Minutes sadly. “Ah wish we could, but we’re tearin’ apart protocol right now by doin’ what we’re doin’. It’s gonna take a lot ta patch all this up.”

Gambit ran his hands idly over the table and stared at the little lamp in the center.

“Remy, ya better not be hatchin’ anythin’ in that head of yers,” Miss Minutes warned. “Cuz if’n ya are, ah’ll take that brush to ya again.”

Gambit turned a worried sidelong glance at the clock.

“Ah mean it.” She waggled a finger at him. “Ah’ll whup yer heinie until it glows in tha dark.”

The ominous threat made a shiver surge through Gambit’s body, and he caught himself clenching his butt cheeks, which made him jerk in pain and wince. He sighed. “Okay, petite, but it ain’t fair.”

“Not everythin’ is, sugah.”

Gambit’s mouth worked, and he turned tearful eyes up to the clock. In a low voice, he asked, “Ar-are ya really gonna whoop me when we get back like ya said?”

Miss Minutes crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s for me ta know an’ you ta find out, mister.”

A chill ran down the Cajun’s spine. Averting her gaze, he pulled off his gloves and stuck them in his pocket.

Thori snickered.

When Gambit wasn’t looking, Miss Minutes smiled at him warmly. She knew she would never be able to spank him again so soon, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. After all, holding the threat of another spanking over his head was doing well to keep him in line. She walked down, sat on his shoulder, and stretched out a tiny hand to massage his ear.

“Ya just be uh good boy, okay?” she whispered.

With a pout on his face, Gambit replied, “Ya keep doin’ dat an I’mma fall asleep.”

Miss Minutes kissed his cheek.

In no time, Mobius returned, carrying two trays. He put one tray between himself and Gambit and the other in front of Thori. For Thori, he got hamburgers, pizza, hot dogs, several sandwiches, some roast chicken, pancakes, and French fries.

“There you go,” said Mobius as he put the gumbo, several slices of pizza, and a glass of non-alcoholic beer in front of Gambit. He put a salad, a sandwich, and a cup of coffee in front of his chair.

Thori dug into his food immediately, with everyone turning their eyes on him. After he wolfed down the hamburgers, he stopped to look between Mobius, Gambit, and Miss Minutes.

“What?” he said, licking his lips. After three tries, he finally got the glob of mustard off his nose.

Gambit cleared his throat. “Nuttin’.”

“You haven’t seen a Hel-Hound eat before?”

“Ya never ate my pancakes like dat.”

“Actually, no, I haven’t,” said Mobius as he picked up his salad slowly.

Thori burped and commenced to eating again.

“He jus’ one of de boys.” Gambit began eating his gumbo.

“So,” Mobius began, changing the subject. “Tell me more about this Void.”

“Ahhh…” Gambit glanced up at Miss Minutes. She shook her head and fixed him with a stern glare. “Ah can’ tell ya anymore dan ah already have.”

Mobius turned a puzzled expression to him.

“Sorry.” He pointed up. “She’ll spank me again.”

Blinking, Mobius looked at the clock and back to Gambit. “Is it that bad?”

Thori belched and continued scarfing down food.

“Is jus’…”

“Ya ain’t supposed ta know about it, Mobius,” Miss Minutes finished for him. “Ah would appreciate it if’n ya didn’t ask questions an’ changed tha subject.”

“And why is that?” Mobius asked irritably. “I work here, too, you know. What is the TVA keeping secrets?”

“Ya better not push it, Mobius, or she’ll spank ya too.”

Mobius opened his mouth to say something else but shut it again, derailed by what the mutant had said. He looked from Gambit back to the clock’s glaring eyes.

“She wouldn’t do that to me,” he laughed nervously. “Would you?”

“Like he said, don’t push it,” Miss Minutes answered coldly.

Mobius’ eyebrows rose. He shifted on his chair and stabbed his salad with his fork. “It’s sorta hard to know what to say to someone who came back from the dead and isn’t allowed to talk about that experience.”

“Ah ain’t come back from de dead. Ah was never dead.” He wanted to tell Mobius more, but he forced himself to keep silent. There was so much he could say, like the fact he’d been physically abused by President Loki, but how could he say that without describing The Void? How could he say that without going into details about the people who live there? He wanted to warn him of The Void’s nightmarish misery and the TVA’s cruelty for sending innocent people to it. Yes, Mobius, the TVA keeps secrets! So many of them. But he wasn’t allowed to say that…

Calmly, Gambit chewed at a slice of pizza, determined to eat slowly and enjoy his last good meal for as long as he could.

The air was silent as everyone focused on eating, the only noise coming from Thori’s slurping and smacking as he inhaled the roast chicken.

When the awkward lunch was over, Mobius, Gambit, Thori, and Miss Minutes rode the elevator down to the TVA’s supernatural department. Here, the elevator doors opened up on a dark hallway lit mostly by red lighting. Icy air swept over Gambit and made him wrap his coat around him.

“Ah t’ink ya heater’s broke in dis part.”

“Nah, it’s like that fer uh reason,” Miss Minutes replied. “This is tha supernatural department. They deal with spooky variants down here.”

“Dat why it so dark?”

“Of course. Most supernatural creatures don’t like bright light.”

“We need to ask someone where Hunter V-66 is,” Mobius cut in.

“Ah’ll do that fer ya. Ya jus’ stay right here.” Miss Minutes blinked out of sight.

“Ah hafta admit dis place is creepy.” Gambit shuddered, but not just from the cold.

“Thori like it.”

“Ya would.” He blew into his hands. “An’ ah t’ink it gettin’ colder.”

Without warning, Thori blew flames up the back of Gambit’s coat. Startled, Mobius jumped out of the way and nearly slammed into the wall.

“What the…?”

Gambit stiffened. “Thori!” he cried out. He was glad the hallway had red lights to hide his flushed cheeks.

Mobius sprang forward and beat the back of Gambit’s coat and pants with his hand.

“Ow!! Mobius!” Gambit stepped away from the man. “Wha’ ya doin’? Ah’m sore back dere! Remember?”

“I thought…” Mobius peered at the back of Gambit, confused. “I thought you were on fire.”

“Ah ain’t! ‘Cept for de fire Miss Minutes put on my bum wit’ de brush.”

“I’m sorry. I thought… I mean, he breathed fire on you.”

“Ah told ya his flames don’ hurt. Dey ain’t gonna ignite anythin’.” Gambit winced and rubbed his bottom. “Phew, Mobius…”

“I’m sorry, bud,” Mobius said, squeezing the Cajun’s arm. “Is there anything you want me to do?”

“Yah. Find me a Hel-Hound dat can breathe ice.”

Thori laughed.

Mobius smiled amusingly. “I don’t think Miss Minutes would approve of that since she obviously spanked you for a good reason.”

Gambit frowned.

“But, I still don’t understand… His flames…” Mobius looked at Thori.

“Thori can control temperature of flames,” the pup explained to the analyst. “Thori good dog. Won’t hurt people I like.”

“Ah thought ya hate everyone equally.”

“I do.” Thori walked between Gambit’s legs and breathed fire up between them.

Gambit scrambled and sidestepped. “Stoppit!!” He scowled and pulled his coat together. “Not here, ya fou mutt!” He secretly admitted the Hel-Hound’s warm flames did feel good in this case. The hallway was so cold that he could see his breath coming out in smoky bursts. On second thought, it did feel good on his warm bottom—better than any ice pack.

“Thori just trying to help make Baby Cajun warm.”

Mobius suppressed a smile and coughed. “Ouch! That looked like it hurt. Um…are you okay this time?”

“Ah’m alright, yah,” Gambit grumbled. He glared at Thori, who was still standing between his feet, wagging his tail slowly. “Don’ ya do dat again.”

Thori walked over to Mobius. “Are you cold?”

“No! No. Actually, I’m fine.” The analyst pushed his hands deep into his pockets and forced a smile.

Miss Minutes returned, blinking into existence in front of the two men, her glow filling the hallway with a comforting orange that mixed with the red lighting.

“Okaaaay. V-66 is out on uh mission right now. So we’ll hafta wait ‘til he returns.”

“If Remy can survive that long,” Mobius said with an amused chuckle. He winked at the Cajun.

“Whut?”

“Either he’ll freeze to death or Thori here will barbecue him.”

“Very funny.” Gambit kept his eyes on Thori. “Hey! Stay away from back dere! Ah gotta enough heat under me wit’out ya addin’ more to it.”

“As you wish, Baby Cajun.” Thori tugged his coattails. He breathed a burst of fire up on Gambit’s bottom.

Gambit clasped his hands on his rear and moved away. “Ah said stoppit! Ya embarrassin’ me.”

Mobius and Miss Minutes laughed.

The group waited patiently until a time door opened between them and the elevator doors. They turned to face it. A minutemen unit stepped through first, dragging a variant of Mothman with them. Gambit backpedaled slowly until his back touched the wall as he kept his eyes fixed on the creature in front of him. The dark humanoid beast snarled, unfurled his wings, and fought against the tight hold of the men and women in black armor. They walked forward past Mobius and Gambit, as if they weren’t even there, and disappeared down the hallway into another portion of the floor. The last one to walk through the door was Victor—dressed in a standard black armored uniform and helmet with the TVA logo and the number V-66 printed in orange lettering. He was tall, towering over both Mobius and Gambit, had a muscular build, and stood erect like a commanding officer. His height and appearance, mixed with the hall’s red lights, instantly made him intimidating.

“Hunter V-66?” Mobius asked as they approached him.

“Yes?” Victor replied in a deep, hollowed voice that had a hint of a Romanian accent. His gaze fell on Gambit and then to Thori sniffing around his feet. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I’m Mobius. I work in another department. Um…” He ran a hand over his brow. “I don’t know how to approach this.”

Miss Minutes flew forward. “Ah’ll handle this. Ah need ta see yer tempad.”

“What for?”

“Routine inspection.”

“I’ve heard of no such thing.”

“It wuz jus’ enforced by tha Time Keepers. Now, hand over yer tempad.”

Thori growled, flames flaring from his mouth.

Gambit snatched the pup up in his arms and stepped away to stand behind Mobius. “Wha’ he smell like?” he whispered.

“Vampire!” Thori bristled, a deep guttural growl coming up his throat. “He smells like stinking vampire scum! Murder!”

Victor locked eyes on Thori and Gambit again—a withering stare that sent a chill down the Cajun’s spine. It was the same stare he’d seen both times Dracula showed in The Void. His appearance might be different, but he couldn’t hide that unmistakable cold, fiery gaze.

Gambit tapped Mobius on the shoulder. “Be careful,” he whispered.

Mobius nodded. “You got a Time Theater on this floor we could go to?” he asked. “We just want to talk—ask some questions.”

Victor hesitated and then nodded. “Sure. There’s one down this way.”

Mobius made sure to let Victor go first, which Gambit was glad of. He didn’t like the thought of Victor being in the back where he could easily jump them.

“He Dracula, alright,” Gambit whispered when he walked up to Mobius’ side.

“Are you sure?”

Gambit nodded. “Thori said he smell like vampire. An’ de way he look at me; it de same cold stare ah saw Dracula give me in de Void.”

Mobius looked at Miss Minutes. She nodded.

Thori was about to come out of Gambit’s arms as he continued snarling and growling, his piercing eyes trained on Victor. “Murder!”

Mobius lifted his hand to push both of them back. “Keep him from ruining this,” he whispered.

“Ah’ll try.”

Victor led them to the nearest Time Theater, Mobius closing the doors behind them once they were inside. It looked similar to the other Time Theaters as far as the layout went, except it was darker and lit with more red lighting that made it appear like the inside of a shady nightclub. The floor was black marbled with a thin white spider’s web print all over it. If Gambit didn’t know better, he could have sworn it was colder in here than it was in the corridor.

“I don’t know what this is about, but make it quick. I’m very busy,” said Victor, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “As you undoubtedly saw, I have a new variant to interrogate.”

Something told Gambit that Victor did more than just interrogate. The man gave him the feeling that he probably enjoyed torturing and inflicting pain on his subjects.

“Ah told ya this is uh tempad inspection.” Miss Minutes held out her hand. “Hand it over.”

V-66 stared at her.

“Might ah remind ya that ah outrank ya?”

Sighing, Victor handed over his tempad. “I still don’t understand what this is about.”

“Murder!” Thori shouted.

Victor glanced toward the pup and Gambit. “And why are those two here? Are you in the habit of dragging pet variants around now?”

“Never mind,” said Mobius calmly.

“Murder you!” Thori spat.

Miss Minutes scowled as she searched through the tempad. “Better question is why have ya been takin’ trips to tha Void?”

Victor was thrown off guard momentarily, and it showed. Gambit and Mobius both saw it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, remaining calm. “What’s The Void?”

“Liar!” Thori barked. “I burn his butt! I burn it good!”

Gambit tightened his hold on Thori.

“It says here that you’ve been takin’ trips to tha Void. Someplace called tha Graveyard. How are ya able ta lock on ta tha Void?”

Before anyone knew what was happening, Victor snatched the tempad out of the clock’s hands and opened a time door. He was already halfway through before any of them regained their senses. Then he was gone in a blink, the time door disappearing.

Thori leaped out of Gambit’s arms, snarling and barking and spewing flames as he ran to the spot where the time door had been. “DEATH! MURDER! I burn your butt!”

“That’s just great,” Mobius grumbled. “We lost him.”

“At least we know where he goin’.”

“The Graveyard. What does that even mean?”

“His second hideout in tha Void, what else?”

“Dere must be t’ousands of graveyards in de Void. How we gon’ locate Dracula’s?”

“We can use another tempad.” Mobius pulled his out.

“Ah’m sorry, Mobius, but that ain’t possible.”

“Why not?”

“Because…tha Void isn’t uh place ya can lock onto with uh tempad.”

“I don’t understand. V-66 did.”

“He’s modified his somehow. Ah didn’t have time ta see what he did to it. Ah wuz busy lookin’ for his destination.”

“So…how ah gonna get back dere ta tell de others?” Gambit asked.

“You’ll hafta be pruned…again.”

“Merde.”

“What about Thori?” the Hel-Hound asked.

“You too.”

“I’m coming with you,” said Mobius.

“No!”

The clock startled him.

“No, ya can’t.”

“What do you mean, I can’t? I thought I was part of this mission.”

“Ah think we need ta go back to our department an’ discuss this.”

“I don’t see that there’s anything to discuss.”

“Yer’re right, there isn’t.”

Mobius and Miss Minutes held each other’s gaze for a few minutes before Mobius turned and walked to the door. Gambit thought it best to remain quiet.

When the elevator stopped again, the group walked out into the hallway on one of the TVA’s main floors, much to Gambit’s relief. It felt good not to be freezing. No one had spoken a word since they left the supernatural floor, but the elevator ride had been tense.

“I don’t understand any of this,” Mobius finally said aloud halfway down the corridor. “Why all the secrecy?”

Miss Minutes’ face was grim as she walked ahead of him. She knew all along this wouldn’t end well. That’s why she had been against bringing Gambit back to the TVA. One small move like this always ended up unraveling everything set in place.

“It ain’t yer mission, Mobius,” the clock finally replied. “We just needed yer help. Now that you’ve done that, it’s time we went back.”

Mobius stopped.

Miss Minutes and Gambit looked back at him.

“I’m not going a step farther until you tell me what’s really going on.”

Gambit turned his eyes to Miss Minutes, looking like a child in trouble.

“Will ya please go get uh time stick?”

Mobius stood firm with his arms crossed over his chest. Finally, he sighed and stormed past them and disappeared around the corner.

“An’ meet us in Time Theater Six!” she called after the analyst.

“Dis all my fault, ain’t it?” Gambit asked meekly.

Miss Minutes didn’t reply, but Gambit could read her facial expression, which told him she was annoyed. She walked ahead of him.

“Looks like Baby Cajun in trouble,” said Thori as he walked between Gambit’s feet. “Good spanking coming for your butt.”

Gambit scowled at him. “Hush up.” He ran and caught up to the clock “Ah’m sorry! Ah ain’t mean ta…”

Miss Minutes forced a sad smile.

“Ah ain’t gon’ get spanked, am ah?”

“We just need to get out of here, Remy,” she said softly. “Before we do any more damage.”

Twenty minutes later, Mobius entered Time Theater Six as he was instructed to do, where Miss Minutes, Gambit, and Thori were waiting. In his hands, he carried a time stick and a familiar duffle bag. He stretched out his arm and offered the bag to Gambit.

“You left this behind the first time.”

Smiling, Gambit accepted it. “Ah surprised ya even kept it.”

Mobius shrugged. “I guess there was a part of me that always knew you’d come back even if it seemed impossible.”

The mutant forced a smile. “Ah wish we had more time.”

“Yeah.”

Gambit picked up Thori and held him in the crook of one arm. “Ah guess dis it, den.”

“I guess.”

“Feels sorta weird us sayin’ goodbye a second time.”

“Yeah.” Mobius looked at Miss Minutes. “Too bad I’m not coming with you.”

“Ah’m sorry, Mobius, but this doesn’t concern ya,” said Miss Minutes.

“Sounds like it does if the TVA and the Sacred Timeline are in danger.”

“There ain’t nothin’ ya can do, Mobius. Tha TVA needs ya here more’n we do. Hopefully, we can stop tha threat in tha Void. If we need ya again, we’ll let ya know.” She smiled. In afterthought, she added, “Ya can keep an eye out for Dracula here if’n ya wanna help. Make sure he doesn’t launch an attack on tha TVA once we get back to tha Void.”

Mobius nodded that he understood his orders before turning his eyes to Gambit. “Are you ready, bud?”

Gambit nodded and shifted from one foot to the other. “Ah ain’t gon’ see ya again, am ah?”

Mobius stared back at him sadly, the reality of the moment sinking in. He forced a smile. “Who knows? You’ve come back once already. What’s to say you can’t do it again?”

Gambit smiled.

He activated the time stick and touched Gambit’s stomach with the tip. “For now, go save the Sacred Timeline, you crazy Cajun.” He pointed a finger directly at him. “And stay outta trouble!”

Chapter Text

With Thori still in his arms, Gambit was deposited right outside the church in a painful landing that knocked the breath out of him. Miss Minutes blinked to life directly over him.

“Ooph!!” he cried out. He let go of Thori in favor of grabbing his backside with one hand and the back of his head with the other. “Owww… Ah wish ma healin’ factor would kick in. Musta been outta my mind to agree ta be pruned again.” He gasped in pain and drew his knees up. “Ow, ma bottom…”

“Want Thori to burn it?”

“NON! Ya keep yer fire to yerself.”

Thori chuckled. He shook himself and ran off to the field across from them to find another cement block.

“Hey, at least ya had me ta guide ya this time instead of ya endin’ up in another location.” Miss Minutes smiled.

“Ah guess ah should be grateful den.” He stood up slowly, his bottom protesting his every move.

“Where did you come from?” Blade asked as he walked up to them. Even with his sunglasses hiding his eyes, the man looked confused. “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?”

“It a long story.”

“You went to the TVA without telling us?”

“Ah…” Gambit glanced at the clock. “Er… Ah did, yah.”

Blade turned his eyes to Miss Minutes. “I thought you were in there whooping his butt.”

“Ah did. Then he ran off to tha TVA before ah could stop him.”

Gambit swallowed. He looked everywhere else, trying to evade the cold stare he knew Blade was giving him.

“I can’t believe it. Do I need to take my belt to you?”

Gambit’s mouth twitched.

“Look at me.”

Gambit forced himself to comply.

“I expect that sort of behavior from Loki but not from you.”

“Ah was jus’ trynna help…” the Cajun said in a barely audible voice.

“You blatantly disobeyed. I told you we would discuss those details after Miss Minutes dealt with you.”

Gambit hung his head and stepped away.

“Remy, go to yer room,” Miss Minutes said gently.

He turned a quizzical look to her.

“Ah mean it. Go to yer room. Now. Ah’ll handle this.”

Gambit walked past Blade quickly without so much as glancing at the vampire hunter and disappeared into the church. He hurried straight to his room and shut the door, depositing his duffle bag on the floor. He took off his coat and laid it aside and pulled down his pants to his knees, his hands shaking. He knew he was in deep trouble, so he might as well prepare for the consequences he knew were coming. He was still very sore and didn’t like the thought of more pain added to it. He rubbed his bottom and ran his hands down the backs of his thighs. He had a hard time seeing the damage, but he could tell his thighs were still red.

“Ain’t no way ah gon’ get outta dis one,” he mumbled aloud. “She gon’ tan me again for sure. An’ ah barely healed from de first one.” He glanced at the brush on the table. It was hard to believe such a small object could inflict so much pain. “Ma butt ain’t gon’ last tru another round. Mebbe ah could use de tempad an’ get away from here.” It was tempting. He was almost to his coat when he stopped. No, he couldn’t do that. “She’d find me an’ put ma butt in a sling if dere anythin’ left of it ta put inna sling…” Tears stung his eyes as the reality of the situation hit him in full. He looked at the bed and then glanced at the door. He didn’t want another spanking, but he knew he had no one to blame but himself. It was his fault for rushing off like he did. He sighed heavily and lay on his tummy across the bed and waited. Maybe he could charge the hairbrush to explode. He frowned. That wouldn’t do, either, since she would find something else to use. Besides, he had more hairbrushes in his supplies. He’d have to destroy each one, and that would take time. She’d come in and catch him in the act, and it would give her another reason to toast his rear.

“Remy.”

The clock’s voice startled Gambit. For whatever reason, he had expected to hear the door open and close, but for the clock’s voice to just appear out of nowhere… He looked at her slowly without saying a word and then buried his face in the sheet.

It broke Miss Minutes’ heart to see him already prepared for a spanking. She hadn’t planned on spanking the Cajun again, feeling he had been through enough, but she knew she couldn’t let him get away with what he’d done since she was trying to teach him something. It wouldn’t do for her to spank him for one bad deed and not the other. After all, he did disobey. Since he was already in the position… She picked up the brush, pulled down his boxers, and applied three sharp, stinging swats to the underside of each cheek and the same amount to the backs of both thighs—enough to reignite the heat she put there earlier. The already reddened skin was made redder with just a few smacks.

Gambit cried out with each swat and kicked his feet. No matter how much he had been prepared for it, the swats still took a bite out of him. It took him a full minute to realize the whipping had been brief, and she was no longer striking him. Curious, he looked over his shoulder. The clock had one hand on her hip while her other hand still held the brush.

“Is…is dat it?” he asked carefully with a sniffle.

“Ah didn’t plan on spankin’ ya again, but ah can’t let ya get away with whut ya did…”

He swallowed and sniffled. “Ah’m sorry.”

She gave his bottom another hard swat.

“Ow!!”

“Ya better be. This spankin’s fer disobeyin’ an’ runnin’ off without tellin’ tha others.”

He squirmed and whimpered.

“Ah don’t ever want ta see ya do that again, ya hear me? Ya better consider yerself lucky ah don’t roast yer heinie.” She applied another stinging smack to his underside.

“Ouch!” He jumped and gripped the sheets. “Y-y-yes, ma’am!”

“Ah ain’t gunna spank ya like ah did before, but ah am gunna give ya enough of one ta remind ya.” She lit into his underside again—three hard swats to his left cheek and the same to his right, and then she applied three to both at the same time.

“Owwwwww.” Gambit sniffed back tears.

“There. That oughta rekindle tha fire.” Miss Minutes set aside the brush and pulled up his underwear.

Rekindle was accurate. His rear was burning! He threw his hands behind him and began rubbing out the sting.

“Ah smoothed things over with Blade, but ah can tell he ain’t happy.”

Gambit mewled. “He gon’ whup me wit’ his belt?”

“No. Ah told him ah’d take care of ya again.” She gave his bottom a swat with her hand. “Which ah did.”

He visibly relaxed.

“That’s why ah told ya ta go to yer room.”

“Y-ya were protectin’ me?”

“Yes.”

Gambit smiled through his tears.

“See whut happens when ya obey? Ya got spared feelin’ Blade’s belt.”

“T’ank ya.” He wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

Miss Minutes touched his nose with the tip of her finger. “But don’t ya ever give me uh reason ta use that belt on ya.”

He shrank away. “Y-yess’m.”

She adjusted his underwear and pulled up his pants a little more, choosing to leave them in place just below his red thighs so his bottom could get air.

All of a sudden, Gambit burst out crying.

“Awww. Whut’s wrong, sweetie?” Miss Minutes patted his bottom gently and walked over to stand beside his head. “Ah mean, besides tha spankin’.”

“Ah wanna go home,” he choked out between sobs. “Away from dis place an’ away from de TVA. Jus’ wanna go home.”

The clock regarded him sadly.

“Ah don’ belong here. Ah ain’t belong nowhere. Ah never belonged nowhere. Everyone t’ink ah’m a freak. Ma own parents didn’t even want me. Probably better off if ah ain’t been born at all.” He curled into himself and stuck his thumb in his mouth.

“Aw, Remy, don’t say that. That ain’t true.”

“Ya know it true. Even de TVA t’ink ah don’ belong in life. It ‘cause ah can’t do nuttin’ right.”

“That ain’t true.”

“It is so true!”

“Remy, yer’re not perfect. No one’s perfect. Yer’re human. Yes, yer’re gonna make mistakes. So whut?” She skritched his chin. “You’ll do great things one day,” she whispered. “Everyone’s born fer uh reason.”

Gambit stared past her without commenting on that. Finally, he asked meekly, “Ya ain’t gon’ leave me, are ya?”

The pain in his voice stabbed the clock. “Of course not. Ah ain’t gunna leave ya like this, hun.”

That assurance gave the Cajun comfort, enough to slow his sobs to sniffles.

“Ya did great today.”

He turned teary eyes to her. “Really? Ah did?”

She smiled. “Yeah, ya did.”

He sniffled. “Den why ya spank me?”

“Remy,” Miss Minutes sighed, “even though ya did a good job, ya still did it tha wrong way. Ya disobeyed. Fer that ah spanked ya. Ah don’t wanna hurt ya. In fact, it pains me ta spank ya. It hurts even more that ya made me do it to ya.”

Guilt washed over his face. He hadn’t thought of it in that way before.

“But know ah will if ah hafta, cuz ah love an’ care ‘bout ya.”

He shifted his eyes to her.

Smiling, she kissed his cheek and smoothed his hair.

He took his thumb out of his mouth. “Ah’m sorry, petite. Ah never meant ta hurt ya.”

“Ah know ya didn’t, sugah.” She patted his cheek. “But jus’ remember that uh spankin’ hurts me jus’ as much as it does you.”

He frowned. “Ah doubt dat. Yer butt ain’t de one gettin’ smacked.”

She giggled. “Ah meant in uh different way. It hurts me ta hafta do it to ya.” She reached over and skritched his bottom. “Ah don’t enjoy hurtin’ this sweet heinie.”

Gambit squirmed and laughed. “Stoppit…” A few more tears trailed down his cheeks. “Ya really love me, petite?”

“Of course ah do, ya goofball. Why do ya think ah hang around here?” She ruffled his hair.

Gambit smiled widely.

“Ah don’t love ya in uh romantic way, if that’s whut yer thinkin’. Ah already have someone. But ah love ya as uh friend.”

Still smiling, Gambit lowered his head to the bed. “Wha’? Ma butt ain’t pretty enough for ya?”

She slapped his arm playfully. “Ah dunno.” She rolled her eyes. “Ah’ll have ta give ya my opinion when it ain’t so red and well-spanked,” she teased back.

Gambit squirmed.

“Normally, ah don’t get attached ta variants that pass through tha TVA. But you…” She smiled sweetly and wiped the tears off his face. “There’s somethin’ about ya, Remy,” she whispered. “Maybe cuz ya never had any real parents—ya need someone ta look after ya. An’ ya just need someone ta love ya instead of hurtin’ ya all tha time.” She brushed back his hair. “Ya don’t deserve everythin’ ya been through.”

Gambit reached out and gathered the clock into his arm, pulled her closer to him, and snuggled into her. In return, Miss Minutes wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself next to his cheek.

“That’s my big, lovable goofball. Don’t ya ever go sayin’ ya shoulda never been born or ah’ll spank ya.”

“Y-yes’m.”

“With Blade’s belt.”

Gambit’s eyes widened.

“Yer’re special, Remy. Ah’m glad ya were born.”

“So, dis mean ya gon’ put me back in de timeline?”

She pinched his nose. “Nice try. What’s done is done. Ya can’t go back.”

He sighed and shifted his eyes to her. “Ya really have a boyfriend?”

“Uhhh, yeah. Sorta.” Miss Minutes grinned.

“Tha TVA have more clocks like ya? Wha’ he look like?”

“Uh, no, they don’t,” she replied sadly.

Gambit’s eyebrows rose.

“He ain’t uh clock.” She waved him off. “But that doesn’t matter, though.”

“He human?”

“Ah said it don’t matter.”

Gambit was about to say something else, but thought better of it. Besides, whatever he had in mind to say was cut short by a yawn. “Ah needa go tell Blade an’ de others what we found.”

“Ya can do it when ya feel ready, hun. Why don’t ya take uh nap first?”

That wasn’t a bad idea since he was exhausted. “But wha’ if someone come in here an’ see us like dis?”

Miss Minutes squeezed out of his hold, grabbed a blanket, and pulled it over his backside and legs. She tucked it around him and patted his bottom lovingly. “There ya go, sweetheart,” she cooed as she came back to his arm and snuggled up to him again.

“Admit it, ya like ma butt,” Gambit said with a sleepy, lopsided smile.

Miss Minutes swatted his hand. “Don’t be silly.”

He smirked. “Liar.”

The clock’s cheeks actually flushed. “Okay, ah think it’s cute. Ya gotta cute heinie—when it ain’t red. Happy?”

His smile widened into a toothy grin.

She pinched his cheek. “So’s yer sweet lil’ face.” She picked up his hand and pushed his thumb into his mouth. “Now, c’mon, sweetheart. Ya take uh nap.”

“Yes, Momma,” he teased.

“Ya darn right about that.” She waggled a finger at him. “If ya don’t obey, Momma’s gonna spank yer cute heinie.”

Gambit chuckled.

“Ah mean it.” She settled down in the crook of his arm and began massaging his ear.

With his eyes partially closed, Gambit whispered, “Ah was jus’ jokin’ ‘bout dat Momma bit. But…”

“Yes?”

He moved restlessly, cleared his throat, and looked at her shyly.

The clock leaned closer to him, nuzzled his cheek, and whispered, “Ya rest, darlin’. Momma’s right here. Ah ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

Gambit sighed and relaxed. “Is dis wha’ it feel like ta hava momma?”

She kissed his cheek. “Yeah, ah reckon.” Her eyes lit up. “Ya know… Ah’ve gotta bottle…”

Gambit’s eyes widened, and he lifted a finger. “Don’ ya dare!”

“Why? Ya got it fer lil’ Gambit.”

“It was a joke.”

She smiled mischievously.

“Non, non! Ya ain’t feedin’ me no bottle, cher! Ah’ll be ya baby, mais ah ain’t gon’ drink outta no baby bottle!”

“Shhhh. Calm down.” She continued massaging his ear. “Calm down.”

Gambit’s eyes grew heavier, and soon he was out, snoring lightly with his thumb stuck tight between his lips.

“That’s right, sweet baby, ya jus’ rest.”

After six minutes, the door to Gambit’s room cracked open slowly. Without moving, Miss Minutes shifted her eyes in that direction.

President Loki stepped in. Normally, he would be wary of Thori, but he knew the pup was still outside. His eyes landed on Gambit instead, taking note of the mutant’s position. A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. He took a few more steps forward before his vision was full of orange. It took him a few seconds to realize that Miss Minutes was on top of him and grabbing him by the ear.

“Ow!! Let go of me, you wretched clock!”

“Uh-uh. Ah don’t think so. Ya ain’t gunna harass Remy.”

“Who says I came in here to harass him??”

“Ya haven’t come in here for nothin’ else so far.” She tugged on his ear, twisting it a little. “C’mon. Over here.”

“Owwwww!” President Loki mewled while following her to the bed. It wasn’t like he had much choice. The clock had a death grip on his left ear.

“Sit.”

He did as she instructed, afraid she’d rip off his ear if he didn’t comply. Miss Minutes let go of him and snatched up the brush.

President Loki’s eyes widened, and he held up his hands. “Wh-what are you going to do?”

“Shh! Lower yer voice or you’ll wake him.”

President Loki looked at Gambit beside him. The mutant was still sound asleep with his thumb in his mouth. His eyes moved to Gambit’s lower half hanging off the side of the bed and covered by the blanket. “I’m not going to wake up your little overgrown baby. What did you do? Spank him?”

“Ain’t none of yer business.”

“Oh come on. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out, especially after hearing Blade’s conniption earlier. I figured the little brat was in for a world of pain.”

“He ain’t uh brat. You are.”

“I resent that!”

“Well, ya are.” Without taking her eyes off Loki, she adjusted the blanket on Gambit and patted his bottom.

President Loki smirked amusingly. “How adorable.”

“Why are ya here?”

“I just wanted to know what you found out after going to the TVA.”

“Yer’ll hear about it soon enough when we have uh meetin’.”

“When?”

“When he wakes up.”

“Of course. I should have known.”

“Don’t ya git smart with me, mister.” She smacked his leg with the brush.

“Ow!!!” President Loki hissed and rubbed out the sting. “What did I do??”

“That wuz uh warnin’.”

President Loki pouted. “Why can’t I be pampered like him?”

The question derailed the clock. He sounded so much like a wounded, jealous child. “Ya haven’t exactly been agreeable enough ta be pampered.”

President Loki kept his eyes lowered as he continued rubbing his leg, his bottom lip pooched out.

Despite her feelings for him, Miss Minutes smiled sweetly at the trickster. Could that be part of the trickster’s problem? He just wanted some affection and attention. Of course he did. He was a Loki, after all. “Come here,” she said softly.

“What?”

She motioned for him to lie on the bed.

He hesitated. “You work for the TVA. How do I know you aren’t going to kill me?”

“You don’t.”

President Loki’s eyebrows rose.

Miss Minutes rolled her eyes. “Will ya jus’ lay down?”

President Loki did so slowly.

“On yer tummy.”

Loki eyed the brush in her hand. “Wh-what are you going to do?”

Miss Minutes flew over and stood on his back. “Ah’m gunna massage yer shoulders.” She gave his bottom a gentle swat with the brush as a warning. “But if’n ya don’t behave, yer gunna get somethin’ else, understand?”

President Loki swallowed and nodded.

She set the brush aside, put her hands on his shoulders, and began working and squeezing them. “Gosh, yer’re tense. Loosen up uh lil’.”

President Loki sighed and allowed himself to relax. He admitted the clock’s administrations weren’t bad. In fact, it felt good. He smiled and soaked in the feeling of her tiny hands working his muscles.

“What’s so special about him, anyway?” he whispered as he stared across at Gambit’s sleeping form.

“He’s uh sweetheart.”

“Puh! He’s done nothing but cause me misery since he arrived.”

“He ain’t done no such thing. Yer tha one who’s heaped misery on yerself, probably since before he arrived.”

The trickster scowled. “He gave Blade the idea to spank me!”

“And ya deserve it for bein’ such uh bully.”

“I should take that belt of Blade’s and give him the beating of his life as payback for that. Nothing would please me more than to turn that Cajun butt beet red again. OW!”

Stinging pain blossomed across his backside. Gasping, President Loki looked over his shoulder to see Miss Minutes holding the hairbrush.

“No ya won’t! Ya leave Remy alone,” she said in a stern whisper. “Ya know nothin’ ‘bout givin’ uh proper spankin’.”

“And I suppose you do?”

She delivered another stinging smack to his bottom.

“Owch!!!” President Loki jerked forward and winced.

“Keep goin’, mister, an’ yer’ll find out soon enough,” the clock said coldly.

President Loki settled down again, loosening his shoulders. When Miss Minutes saw he wasn’t going to give her any more lip, she set aside the brush and went back to massaging.

“Ya leave Remy alone,” she continued. “Yer idea of spankin’ is cruel an’ abusive. Ah don’t wanna see ya lay uh hand on him.” She squeezed his shoulders a little tighter. “Do ya hear me? Ah’m puttin’ uh restrainin’ order on ya right now. If’n ya so much as lay uh hand on his heinie, yer’ll be at my mercy. Ah’ll be tha one takin’ that belt to ya, an’ ah’ll make sure it’s smolderin’ when ah get done.”

President Loki nodded. “Y-y-yes! I understand.”

Miss Minutes regarded him skeptically as she worked her little fingers into the back of his neck. She knew he was probably lying, but she let it slide for the time being. “Good. Ah’m gunna keep my eyes on ya. Remember. One move toward Remy an’ ah’m gunna blister yer heinie until ya can’t sit down fer several weeks.”

President Loki swallowed at hearing the threat. “Okay! I get the point!” he squeaked out loudly.

Both of them froze when Gambit moved in his sleep and adjusted the thumb in his mouth.

“Lower yer voice! If ya wake him up, yer gunna be tha one puttin’ him back ta sleep.”

“Me?? He wouldn’t sleep for me.”

“It’d be fun watchin’ ya try.”

“What’s he going to do, anyway? Wake up crying? I knew he was a manbaby, but not to that extent. Ow! Will you stop hitting me with that brush?”

“Stop callin’ him uh manbaby.”

“Why? He is one.”

“Ah ain’t denyin’ whut he is. Ah jus’ don’t like how ya use tha word. You use it ta bully him, an’ ah don’t like it.”

President Loki grumbled.

“Whut wuz that?”

“Nothing! I don’t understand why I can’t call him that, but the mutt gets to call him Baby Cajun.”

“It’s Thori’s nickname fer him. He doesn’t use it maliciously. You do.”

“Does he wear a diaper?”

“No he doesn’t. An’ ah’d better not hear ya tease him, either.”

“You know he’s a thief, right?”

“So are you, liar.”

Miss Minutes massaged him in silence for several minutes before Loki spoke again. “So, what is the proper way to spank, if I may ask? Since you’re obviously an expert on it.”

“Ya jus’ spank outta love.”

“Come again?”

“Ya spank outta love. If ya love someone an’ care about their wellbein’, then ya do everythin’ ya can ta protect them an’ make sure they don’t hurt themselves or someone else.”

“So you spank them?? I hardly call that love.”

“Ah guess ya wouldn’t since ya don’t have no understandin’ of love ta begin with.”

“Hey!”

“Ya don’t! That’s why yer method of spankin’ is cruel. It lacks love.”

President Loki nodded at Gambit. “So, you spanked him because you…love him?”

“Of course. He made uh bad choice that almost got him an’ all of y’all killed. Ah couldn’t let that slide. That’s one of tha reasons why ah wanted ta spank him instead of Blade doin’ it. Ah felt like it needed ta come from me. Tha spankin’ ah gave him is tha consequence of his actions, an’ he knows it. All bad choices come with consequences. Most of tha time, they’re unpleasant. You of all people should know that.”

President Loki remained silent, his mind struggling to process everything the clock said.

“He scared me when ah found out whut he done.”

“Scared you?”

“Yes. Knowin’ he almost got himself killed scared me. Ah love him too much to lose him. That’s why ah spanked him. Ah want him ta remember it tha next time he thinks about makin’ that kinda choice again.”

“And what if he makes the same choice again anyway?”

“He’ll get another spankin’. Ah’ll continue ta do it until it sticks.”

“Doesn’t it bother you to do that?”

“Of course it does. Ya think ah actually enjoy spankin’ his sweet heinie an’ causin’ him pain? It hurts me ta do it, but that’s tha price of love. Ah’ve been around humans long enough ta learn that tha qualities of love ain’t always pleasant.”

President Loki stared quietly.

Miss Minutes smiled. “Besides, there’s a lot more to it than jus’ tha spankin’ part. It’s tha lessons he learns from it an’ tha cuddles afterward. Plus, tha care put into tha spankin’ itself. Ya don’t spank ta leave permanent damage. Ya spank enough ta make it uncomfortable and memorable an’ that’s all.”

“Cuddles? Blade never gave me cuddles…”

“There’s uh picture ah’m gonna hafta erase from my mind later...” she mumbled. Louder, she said, “Ah don’t think Blade’s tha cuddlin’ type, hun. Ah can tell he’s got his own issues ta work out.” She skritched his cheek playfully and made the trickster giggle and shrug his shoulder.

“So ya can laugh.”

President Loki’s cheeks flushed. He cleared his throat. “And what do you think of that?” He nodded toward Gambit.

“Whut do ah think of whut?”

“A grown man sucking his thumb like a baby.”

Miss Minutes shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me none. Ah think it’s adorable.” She smirked. “As ah recall, ya do tha same, so yer’re one ta talk.”

President Loki scowled. “It was something no one was meant to know.”

“Too bad.” She grabbed his hand and pushed his thumb into his mouth.

“Mmmph!” He took it out again. “What do you think you’re doing??”

“Jus’ showin’ ya that ya can do it around me. Ah ain’t gunna judge.”

“I’m not your baby,” he said darkly.

“Whatever ya say.” Miss Minutes squeezed the back of his neck hard.

“Ow!”

President Loki remained quiet for the rest of the time Miss Minutes massaged him. The clock could tell the trickster wanted more pampering than just the massage. He wanted to be mothered in the same way she mothered Gambit, but his pride got the better of him. Little steps, she thought. At least he was calm for once. She considered that a start in the right direction.

Eventually, Gambit’s eyes fluttered open, and he groaned and moved his legs. He winced when pain shot through his backside.

“Hey, sweetie,” Miss Minutes cooed.

The Cajun smiled when he laid eyes on the clock, and then he pulled his thumb out of his mouth and scooted away when he saw President Loki.

“Wha’?? Wha’ he doin’ here an’ in my bed?”

“It’s okay, Remy. He ain’t gunna hurt ya.”

“How ya know?”

“He jus’ needs a lil’ attention. See?”

Gambit looked at the trickster again, his eyes blinking in confusion. President Loki was asleep with his thumb in his mouth.

“Y’all should start uh thumbsuckin’ club.” The clock giggled.

“Very funny.” Gambit had to admit that President Loki didn’t look threatening at the moment as Miss Minutes massaged gentle circles into his back. His face was a picture of innocence just as it had been the night he snuck into his bedroom. “How ya tame him?” he whispered.

Miss Minutes held up the brush.

Gambit winced and then grinned. “Ah could spank him right now, if ya want.” He drew back his hand as he eyed the plump bottom in front of him.

“Remy!”

The mutant faltered.

“You do that an’ ah’ll spank ya again!” She scowled at him darkly while waving the brush. “Ya don’t spank outta revenge. That’s exactly whut he did ta you when he beat ya.”

Gambit lowered his hand. “Ya right, petite. Ah’m sorry.”

She shook a finger at him. “Both of ya are gunna learn ta get along if’n ah hafta tan both of ya an’ push yer noses into corners.”

Gambit hung his head at the scolding. The threat made him realize his pants were still pulled down with his backside exposed and vulnerable. He pulled them back in place quickly, wincing when the material brushed against his scorched thighs, and stood up before the clock decided to carry out that threat.

“Ah t’ink it time we had a talk wit’ Blade.”

Miss Minutes nodded and turned to Loki. “Hey.” She tugged on his hair gently.

President Loki moaned and turned his face into the bedcovers.

“We gotta get up, hun.” She smacked his bottom with her hand. The trickster jumped and raised his head. “Sorry, but we gotta go have uh meetin’ with Blade.” She picked up his horned crown and handed it to him.

President Loki looked at Gambit. Both men held each other’s gaze for a minute. Then President Loki sighed, took his crown, and put it on his brow. Without a word, he walked out of the room calmly.

“Ya musta worked magic on him, petite,” Gambit whispered.

Miss Minutes smiled. “Jus’ goes ta show ya that everyone needs ta be loved…even tha disagreeable ones.”

Unknown to them, Mini Gambit was sitting outside the door, listening. He looked up when they walked into the hallway.

“Hey, nugget,” Miss Minutes smiled down at the tiny mutant. “How long have ya been out here?”

“Long enough.” He paused and then lifted his arms to her for her to pick him up.

She increased her size, picked him up, and cradled him in her arms. “Ya shoulda come inside fer some lovin’.” She kissed his head and tickled him around his armor.

Mini Gambit laughed and kicked his feet. “Ah don’t need no lovin’!”

Miss Minutes shook her head in disapproval. She tilted him back with his feet sticking high in the air and swatted his little bottom playfully. “Ah ain’t gunna have none of that, lil’ mister!”

“Hey! Wha’ ya doin’??” He kicked helplessly as the clock bombarded his bottom with painless swats that turned into tickles. The little mutant’s feet squirmed, pinwheeled, and pushed against her arm. “Hahahahaha! Stoppit! Dat tickles!”

The clock gave him a few more pats and kissed his cheek.

Gambit chuckled. “Ya better watch out, mon frère, she spank ya good.”

Miss Minutes smiled warmly as she watched Mini Gambit yawn and snuggle into her. She kissed him again and pulled his coat tighter around him. Then she took his tiny hand and pushed his thumb into his mouth. He turned a questioning look up at her. She made a shush gesture with her finger and ran her hand over his hair.

“Ya ready?” Gambit asked.

“Yeah, ah’m ready.”

Chapter Text

Everyone was sitting around the living room, waiting, when Gambit and Miss Minutes walked in. Child Loki was sitting on the floor with toy animals scattered around him. Jeff was in his pool, wagging his tail and sloshing water out on the floor.

“Mrrrr?”

“It’s about time,” Blade grumbled from his usual place by the front door.

“Sorry,” said Miss Minutes. “Ya wanted me ta take care of Remy, so ah did.” She glanced at the Cajun. “He needed uh lil’ time ta recover.”

He nodded.

No Eyes Loki gave them a sympathetic smile from the main couch. “Would you like to sit here with me?”

Gambit shook his head. “Non, thank ya. Ah’d rather stand.”

“Well? What did you find out?” Blade asked.

“We went to de TVA,” Gambit started slowly. “Don’ ask me how, ‘cause ah really don’ want ‘nother whoopin’.” He shifted his eyes to the vampire hunter.

Blade crossed his arms over his chest.

“You used that device!” President Loki blurted out.

Gambit shrugged. “Well…”

“What device?” Blade looked between Loki and Gambit.

President Loki opened his mouth, but Gambit cut him off, “Don’ say anythin’ or ah’ll tell ‘em a few secrets!”

President Loki scowled at him darkly.

“What secrets?” Blade was confused as ever over what the men were talking about.

“It’s nothing!” said President Loki quickly.

Miss Minutes cleared her throat and threw a look at both of them. “Remember whut ah jus’ said?” She fixed Gambit with a hard glare.

Gambit shifted from one foot to the other. Miss Minutes reached out and swatted his backside.

“Ow!” he yelped and put his hands behind him. His cheeks burned up to his ears as he stole glances at everyone.

Blade smirked approvingly.

President Loki remained calm, however. The faintest hint of a smile wanted to tug at the corners of his mouth, but a ‘you’re next’ look from the clock kept him in check.

“We went back to tha TVA,” said Miss Minutes, getting the conversation back on topic. “An’ we found Dracula. Remy wuz right; he’s been hidin’ out there an’ been workin’ as one of our hunters.”

Blade was all ears as he focused his full attention on her.

“Him bein’ uh hunter means he has access ta tempads an’ tha timeline, an’ he’s been goin’ on missions.” She glanced at Mini Gambit in her arms. The mutant was fast asleep and sucking his thumb. She smiled and patted his bottom.

“Unfortunately, he got ‘way from us,” Gambit added. “We were righ’. He got a second lair here in de Void. Someplace called de Graveyard. Dat’s where he went when he opened a time door an’ got ‘way.”

“We’re not sure how, ‘cause tempads normally shouldn’t be able ta lock onto this place. He’s modified it somehow ta travel both ways. Ah wuzn’t able ta figure it out since ah wuz focused on his destination. An’ he snatched it from me.”

“The Graveyard…” Blade repeated. “Never heard of it.”

“There must be hundreds or even thousands of graveyards here,” said No Eyes Loki.

“Dat’s de problem, yah. Until we figure out where dat is, we ain’t got no hope of findin’ him.”

Thori walked through the front door. He wagged his tail when he saw Gambit and walked over to sit beside his feet. He coughed and spat up a chunk of cement.

“When the Commandos attack us, they always come from that direction.” No Eyes Loki pointed toward the bedrooms. “So maybe The Graveyard is located somewhere out there.”

Blade nodded. “Good point. It’s the only clue we’ve got, anyway.”

“Maybe T-Gambit would know. He come from dere.” Gambit looked at Miss Minutes and then at Mini Gambit.

“He’s sleepin’.”

“Great,” Blade muttered.

“The whole timeline is going to burn because we have to wait on some babied Cajuns,” President Loki snorted.

Gambit frowned but kept his tongue in check.

“We can ask him when he wakes up,” said Miss Minutes. “Ah’m gunna put him ta bed.” She turned and walked down the hallway toward Gambit’s room.

“I guess this meeting is postponed until the squirt wakes up,” Blade announced, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Wha’ if he don’ know?”

“Mrrrrr!!!” said Jeff. He jumped up and down in his pool excitedly, sloshing more water out.

“He knows?”

The shark nodded. “Mrrrrr!!!”

Gambit and Blade exchanged looks.

“Let me know the second he wakes up,” said Blade as he pointed a finger at the Cajun. He turned and walked out the front door.

Gambit returned to his room, glad to be away from the others. Thori slipped in just as he shut the door.

“Ain’t ya got nuttin’ else ta do?” Gambit muttered.

“No.” Thori scampered over and jumped on the bed.

Sighing, Gambit followed. “All ya come in here for is ta nip or burn my butt. An’ ah don’ need neither righ’ now, ‘cause ah’m sore!”

“That’s not true. Thori also here to protect it from nasty President.”

“Ah wish ya protect it from Miss Minutes usin’ dat hairbrush.”

“You deserved that.”

“Shhh!” Miss Minutes scowled at both of them. “Hush! Can’t ya see he’s sleepin’?” She had Mini Gambit wrapped in a blanket on the bed.

Thori walked over and lay down beside him.

“Ain’t he precious? Ah’m uh momma of twins.”

Gambit lifted an eyebrow.

“What?” Thori perked up.

“Nuttin’!” Gambit sat down on the bed a little too hard, only to jump to his feet again. He rubbed his bottom. “Owwwww…”

Thori chuckled.

Gambit shot him a glare.

“Hush!” Miss Minutes scowled again.

Gambit nodded at Mini Gambit. “So, which ya like best. Him or me?”

“Seriously?” she whispered. “Ah love ya both tha same. Yer’re tha same person.”

“Ah dunno. Ah t’ink ah’m cuter.”

Miss Minutes smirked and nudged him. She looked down at Mini Gambit. “He needs uh lot of love. Poor baby’s been here uh long time. Ah wish ah could take y’all outta this place.” She ran her hand over Mini Gambit’s head.

“Mebbe someday we’ll get ta go back,” said Gambit softly. “An’ all of us can enjoy life again.”

Miss Minutes smiled.

They waited patiently for half an hour until Mini Gambit finally woke up.

“Fine time for ya ta sleep,” Gambit griped. “De future of de timeline’s at stake an’ ya choose ta take a nap.”

Mini Gambit scowled. “Wha’s eatin’ ya? Gambit can’ help it.”

“Ah oughta whup yer pi-yi.”

“For wha’?? Sleepin’??” Mini Gambit squeaked.

“Remy, that’s enough,” Miss Minutes warned.

“Pick up de lil’ peeshwank an’ let’s go tell Blade.”

“Hey! Who ya callin’ a peeshwank?!” Mini Gambit glared at him, his eyes glowing red. He pulled out a card, charged it, and threw it just as Gambit turned. It hit the Cajun squarely in the backside with a purple explosive pop.

“AYE-YA-YI!” he screamed out and clamped both hands on his rear. He spun around. “Wha’ de??”

“How dat feel on yer pi-yi? Huh? Ya gros bête!”

“Why ya lil’…” Gambit stepped forward but stopped when his hairbrush was thrust in his face. His eyes followed it to Miss Minutes.

“Remy, that’s enough. Ah suggest ya stop unless ya want more pain applied to yer heinie.”

He swallowed and nodded. “Y-yess’m.”

“That’s better.” She swung the brush around to Mini Gambit. His eyes widened. “As for you…” She bent him over, yanked his coattails over his head, and brought the brush down six times on his backside, taking great care not to hurt him more than was necessary.

Mini Gambit squealed and flailed his arms. “Owwww!”

“Ah don’t wanna see ya do that ta him again, ya hear?”

“Y-y-y-yes, mademoiselle!” He straightened up and sniffled while rubbing his little bottom.

Gambit smirked. “Stings, don’ it?”

Mini Gambit turned teary eyes to him.

“Tell him yer sorry.”

He scowled.

Miss Minutes waggled the brush.

Eyes wide, Mini Gambit said quickly, “Ah’m sorry!”

“That’s more like it.” She put the brush back on the table and picked up Mini Gambit as if he were a baby and carried him in her arms.

Gambit stood silent and let them pass. He frowned when Mini Gambit stuck his tongue out at him and blew a raspberry as they went by.

“Jus’waittilahgettaholdayadirtylilpeeshwank…” he grumbled under his breath. He looked over at Thori, who was smiling cheekily and wagging his tail.

“How’d it feel getting hit by your own card?” Thori was about to bust laughing.

“No comment.” He rubbed his backside vigorously. He then gestured for the pup to go ahead of him. “Ah ain’t ‘bout ta get my rump warmed by you today. Ah got nuff fire under me now.”

“You sure do,” Thori laughed.

Gambit shoved the hound forward with his foot.

“Hey!” The pup spun around. He spat a fireball at the Cajun’s feet. “Watch it!”

“Whut’s wrong, Remy?” Miss Minutes whispered in concern when Gambit joined her side in the hallway. He was still nursing his backside.

“Ah jus’ frustrated is all.”

The clock smiled and smoothed his hair. “Ah think ya need another nap.”

“Ah jus’ need everyone ta understand dis ain’t no target.” He pointed at his bottom.

Mini Gambit giggled.

Gambit ran his finger over the smaller Cajun’s nose. “Ya lucky ah ain’t de one spankin’ ya.”

Mini Gambit sank his teeth into the other mutant’s finger.

“Yow!” Gambit yanked his hand away quickly. “Ya lil’…”

“Now, that ain’t nice.” Miss Minutes scolded. She gave Mini Gambit’s bottom a firm swat with her hand. “Ah can still spank ya without tha brush, so ah suggest ya behave.”

Mini Gambit swallowed. “Y-yes, mademoiselle.”

“De lil’ peeshwank’s awake,” Gambit announced as he turned the corner and stepped into the living room.

Mini Gambit pulled out another card, but Gambit stepped away and held up his hands.

“Ya ain’t gon’ do dat again!”

“Den stop callin’ me a peeshwank!” He put his card away and realized all eyes were on him. “Wha’s goin’ on? Why everyone lookin’ at me?” He looked at Miss Minutes. “Wha’ ah do?? Ah jus’ felt sleepy, so ah take a nap!”

“Shhh. Ya didn’t do nothin’ wrong, sweetie.” She ran her hand through his hair.

“Awake and in a foul mood, by the look of it,” Blade mumbled. Louder, he asked, “Have you ever heard of The Graveyard?”

“De graveyard?” Mini Gambit shifted his dark eyes to the vampire hunter. “Ya mean DE Graveyard? Sure, ah’ve heard of it.”

“You know where it’s located?”

“Non, but ah know someone who can show ya de way dere. It haunted, tho. Everyone who go dere ain’t never come back, no.”

The group exchanged glances.

“Probably ‘cause Dracula usin’ it as his hideout.”

“Who can show us?”

Mini Gambit shook his head. “Can’ say. Ah jus’ hafta take ya dere. But where we needa go, it too far ta walk.”

“One of the Lokis can open a portal if we knew where it was.”

Mini Gambit shook his head again. “Ah can’ tell ya dat, either, mais ah can show ya. Besides, ah wouldn’t recommend doin’ dat—openin’ a portal, no. Where we gotta go, it ain’t wise ta drop in outta nowhere uninvited.”

“We could drive there in one of the old cars around here,” No Eyes Loki suggested.

“If we can get it runnin’,” Gambit laughed.

“And who here knows how to drive it?” President Loki growled. “The Good Samaritan here is blind. The little mutant is too small. The child version of us is too young. And I don’t know how to drive a Midgard vehicle.”

“I’ll drive,” Blade volunteered.

“You’re going to drive? Do you even know how?”

“Of course I know how.” Blade scowled at President Loki. “I used to drive when I still lived in the timeline.”

“Well, what are we waiting for, then?” President Loki walked to the door. “Let’s go pick out a vehicle and get this over with.”

“He’s impossible.” Blade muttered.

“Thori, fill up my coat pockets wit’ packs of cards,” said Gambit. “While ah go help look for a car.”

“Thori don’t take orders from Baby Cajun.”

“Ya can have a whole bag of Cheetos t’night—charged.”

“Thori fill your coat with cards.” The pup ran out of the room.

After searching through the available selection for at least twenty minutes, they decided on an old 1970s station wagon that was sitting in the field across from the church—cream colored and with the traditional wood grain paneling. It was far from stylish, and it was also beat up and rusted with the backend door gone, but Blade said the tank was full of gas, unlike some of the others they examined. It was the only thing they could find that was spacious enough to carry all of them to where they needed to go and had enough gas to get them there and back, or they hoped. Of course, Mini Gambit couldn’t give them an answer to how long it would take them to get to wherever it was he was taking them.

“There’s no key,” Child Loki pointed out. “How are we going to start it if there’s no key?”

Gambit walked up to them while he put on his coat, Thori, Jeff, and Miss Minutes, still holding Mini Gambit, coming up behind him.

“Ya Lokis ever heard ‘bout hotwirin’? Ah thought bein’s of chaos like ya would know ‘bout dat. It de first t’ing us thieves are taught in our trade along wit’ pickpocketin’.”

“Excuse us if we have no use for Midgard vehicles,” said President Loki.

“Thori doesn’t like riding in cars,” said the Hel-Hound. “Thori hate cars.”

“Wha’ ya mean, ya hate cars?”

“Just as Thori says.”

“What do we do with you, then? Strap you to the top?” Blade quipped.

“You just try it, vampire scumbag!” Thori growled. “Murder you!”

“Ah can hold ya on de open windowsill if ya wanna ride dat way.”

Thori’s ears perked up.

“Ah promise ah won’t drop ya.”

“You better not if you want to continue sitting on your butt.”

Gambit rolled his eyes and pushed everyone out of the way so he could hotwire the station wagon. “Step aside, peasants, an’ let de Cajun thief do his job.”

“You dare call me a peasant?” President Loki glared.

“Can’ ya even take a joke?”

“Something tells me I’m gonna have a headache after this mission,” Blade muttered through his teeth.

It took several tries, but Gambit finally got the station wagon roaring to life…such as it was. The rattletrap shook violently, and the engine made a louder noise than its vibrating chassis. They piled into it just the same. Gambit sat in the passenger seat, albeit painfully, with Mini Gambit on his lap, ready to give directions. As promised, he held Thori in his arm, perched on the windowsill. The Lokis were crammed in the backseat with Miss Minutes hovering between them and Jeff on the floor.

It was ten minutes into the drive when Blade began to regret his decision to go on this mission. President Loki complained about everything—the seat was too worn, a spring was poking him, the place was filthy, the ride was too bumpy, the window was dirty, and the car was too loud. Thori barked and threw insults at everything they passed, alternating between standing on the windowsill and standing on the edge of the open backend. Jeff bounded over the seats and couldn’t sit still. He mimicked Thori’s barking and barked along with the pup even though he had no clue what he was barking at.

“It’s disgusting!” President Loki whined loudly as he shook Jeff’s drool from his hands.

“It’s not going to hurt you,” No Eyes Loki assured.

“It might not hurt me, but it’s still disgusting! Look at me! I’m covered in smelly fish slime!”

“Thori!” Gambit shouted. “Get back here ‘fore ya fall out.”

The Hel-Hound was currently barking out the back of the car, teetering precariously on the edge. “MURDER!” he shouted to a statue half-buried in the ground. “Filthy, lowlife rock head!”

“Ya demented. It only a statue!”

“Ah’ll get him,” said Miss Minutes. She flew to the back of the car and grabbed the hound. “Ya mind yerself ‘fore ya fall outta tha car.”

“Thori won’t fall out!” he growled. “Thori hellfire!”

“Yeah, well…ya stay inside anyway.” She put him on Child Loki’s lap.

“Be still, Thori,” Child Loki grunted as he attempted to hold on to the pup.

“A school bus full of screaming kids high on sugar on a field trip would be better than this…” Blade mumbled as he kept his eyes focused ahead. He leaned to the side to avoid being hit by a ball of slobber from Jeff.

They drove for an hour, if some manner of hours existed in The Void. There were no roads, so the ride was rough and bumpy as they rode over fields and hilly grassy landscape. Driving in a place like this was risky since it was hard to tell what was littering the ground and hiding in wait under the grass to rip open a tire. Many times, Blade swerved around mounds of cement blocks, sharp metal pieces jutting out of the ground, and patches of broken glass. The trip didn’t bode well for Gambit’s sore backside, but he tried hard to remain comfortable in the worn-out seat. Every bump and jostle reminded him how sore he really was.

Mini Gambit gave directions on where to go and which way to turn, mostly going by The Void’s unique landmarks and landscaping. They saw a lot of things, but no graveyard. His directions eventually brought them to a dirt road that was lined on both sides by several rows of old cars piled on top of each other. It stretched for at least a mile until…

“Slow down an’ turn to yer right…here!” Mini Gambit said as he pointed to another dirt path off to the side. It was marked at the entrance by a working streetlight that was shining brightly against The Void’s washed-out grayness. How it was working, Gambit didn’t know since there were no visible wires connecting it to a power source. It was just one little streetlight randomly stuck in the ground and leaning a bit to one side.

Blade turned the station wagon down the path and drove slowly.

“Turn here at dis statue,” he said again. “Slow down a bit more. Ya don’ wanna drive in dere like ya raidin’ de place.”

“Who are these people that we have to be so careful around?” President Loki asked.

Mini Gambit smiled knowingly. “Y’all see in a bit.” He stood up on Gambit’s lap and leaned against the dashboard. “Here! Stop!”

Blade slammed on the brakes at the edge of a wide open field surrounded by broken, rusted, and decaying theme park rides.

“Dis place, it creepy, yah,” Gambit mumbled.

“You sure about this?” Blade asked.

“Yah. We should be greeted soon,” Mini Gambit assured.

It wasn’t more than a few minutes when someone on a motorcycle cut across the field and approached the station wagon.

“It’s a Loki??” President Loki gaped. No Eyes Loki leaned forward.

The Loki variant in question was dressed in tight-fitting black leather pants and a black, sleeveless shirt that was ripped down the front. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses, and he wore black leather fingerless biker gloves on his hands. Black combat boots covered his feet, which were accented in silver studs and chains. His arms were covered in tattoos that depicted various Asgardian and Jotun images, from Frost Giants to the World Snake coiled around his left bicep. More tattoos covered his bare chest. Completing his biker gang look, a length of chain hung around his neck.

He slowed down, pulled up to the station wagon, and began circling it as he investigated them.

“Don’ y’all make a move. Gambit handle dis, yah,” said Mini Gambit.

Thori snarled and barked from the passenger’s side window. “Thori do you a murder! Poop-headed demigod!”

Everyone froze. Gambit quickly put his hand over the pup’s mouth and pulled him away from the window.

“Thori!” Mini Gambit hissed. “Ah said…”

Upon hearing Thori’s war cry, Biker Loki pulled back, yanked the chain from his neck, and unfurled it. It lit up with bright green magic as he swung it upward over his head and brought it down on the hood of the station wagon with a deafening bang that shook the entire vehicle.

“Thanks for the dent,” Blade mumbled.

“It already got dents. One more ain’t gon’ hurt it none. Migh’ even improve de looks.”

“Yeah, but we’ve gotta get home in this thing. If he damages the motor in any way…”

“You’re in the wrong territory!” Biker Loki shouted. “I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came, and I’ll be merciful to you.” He revved his motorcycle and was about to bring his chain down on the car hood again.

Gambit whipped out a card and charged it, but Mini Gambit put his hand out to stop him.

“Non! Don’ do dat. We not here ta fight.”

“Stop!” No Eyes Loki shouted. Quickly, he got out of the car. “We come in peace. Some of us are brothers. See? I’m a Loki too.”

Biker Loki refrained from hitting their car, momentarily taken by surprise at seeing another Loki emerge from such a sorry-looking vehicle. He regarded the blind Loki for a minute and then snorted. “Is that what we’re calling ourselves now?”

“Are we not brothers?”

“I suppose so.” Biker Loki nodded his head toward the car. “How many do you have in there? And what species?”

“Three Lokis, two human mutants, a clock, a Dhampir, a Hel-Hound, and a land shark.”

Biker Loki lifted an eyebrow. “Quite an interesting group.”

Blade got out of the car cautiously. Gambit followed suit slowly, wincing, while holding Thori in one arm and Mini Gambit in the other. Child Loki and President Loki got out next. Miss Minutes flew out and hovered near their heads. Jeff tumbled out clumsily and bumped into No Eyes Loki’s leg.

“Mrrr….” Jeff groaned and rubbed his head.

As soon as Biker Loki rested his eyes on Mini Gambit, the green glow disappeared from his chain, and he replaced it around his neck. “What brings you here?”

“We just need information,” said Blade. “That’s all. We mean no harm, like the eyeless one says.”

Biker Loki remained silent and studied the people in front of him. Finally, he said, “Follow me. It’s not safe out here.” He escorted them a short distance to an opening in the side of a tall grassy hillside that led down into a bunker underneath. Framing the entrance was an old fun house doorway shaped like a giant jester’s head—his mouth the doorway. The paint was worn and faded, and part of his pointed hat was broken off. Biker Loki turned off his motorcycle and gestured to the group to follow him on foot. The place was like something from a horror show, but Gambit followed closely behind the others.

Biker Loki stopped at the entrance. Without turning around, he said, “The clock stays outside.”

“Wha’?” Gambit looked up at Miss Minutes. “She a friend.”

“I don’t think it’s wise for her to come inside.” He turned a bit to look over his shoulder. “Anything from the TVA isn’t welcome here. I’m a bit more tolerant, so I suggest she stay outside—for her own safety.”

“It’s okay, Remy,” Miss Minutes whispered. “Ya go in and git tha information we need.”

Gambit nodded.

Miss Minutes remained just inside the entrance and watched the rest descend into the darkness. Jeff stayed behind with her.

“Watch your step,” Biker Loki cautioned as he walked down the steep stone steps on the other side that led down into the earth like the entryway to a tomb. The walls of the corridor were the inside of the hill and were made up of dirt, rock, and roots. The only light, besides the outside light behind them, was a green glow that radiated from Biker Loki’s hand. He eventually stopped in front of a black metal door. Here, he pulled a key from his pants pocket and unlocked it. He pushed on it, but it resisted like it was warped on the bottom and scraping the ground under it. He finally got it open, albeit jerkily. On the other side was an enormous open space with a tall domed ceiling lit by bright fluorescents. The area was sectioned off into small rooms that resembled booths at a convention, each one housing someone’s belongings and a bed. There were countless other rooms around the sides, but Gambit couldn’t tell what was in them.

What made the group take a second look was that the place was populated by Lokis—only Lokis. There were dozens of them. Most of them resembled the standard Loki, like President Loki, but there were a few that had different faces. One of them was even a conjoined twin. Each one turned curious eyes in their direction as they walked in, eyeing President Loki, Child Loki, and No Eyes Loki specifically.

“How many Lokis ya got livin’ here?” Gambit asked as he looked to each one.

“Too many,” Biker Loki replied. “It’s appalling how many the TVA throws away.” As he spoke, another Loki walked up to them, who was covered in license plates and wore a green hood and goggles. He stopped beside Biker Loki and looked at the ragtag group, the Lokis catching his attention.

“They looking for shelter?” Hood Loki asked.

“No. They’re here for information, or so they say.”

“This is absurd,” said President Loki as he took in the sight around him. “Lokis living like this.”

“I’m sure you’re not living in anything better,” Hood Loki remarked.

President Loki glared at him. “None of us should have to live this way.”

“I agree, but there’s nothing any of us can do about it, is there?”

“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” Biker Loki remarked, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Ya don’ know de half of it.” Gambit rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“And what about you?” said Hood Loki. “Eyeless one.”

No Eyes Loki lifted his head. “It’s sad that we’re forced to live this way, true, but I’m just thankful to God to be alive.”

Hood Loki and Biker Loki exchanged glances.

“You’re a Loki?” Hood Loki asked.

“Of course.”

“So am I!” Child Loki spoke up as he bounded forward.

Thori yapped.

“Don’t pay attention to these pathetic excuses for us,” President Loki said. He glanced around again. “I like the setup you have here. Do you have room for another one?”

“What?” Child Loki cried. “You’re leaving us?”

Biker Loki remained unmoving. “Perhaps. We can discuss it later.”

Hood Loki walked away slowly.

Finally, Biker Loki removed his sunglasses and pushed them up to sit on his head. Gambit couldn’t help staring at the scar slashed through his left eye. The eye was gray and foggy, obviously blind.

“Now, what can I do for you?” He waved to a table near the door. “Would you care for a glass of wine?”

Everyone but President Loki declined. Biker Loki poured two glasses and handed one to President Loki. “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t let just anyone in here. But since you have him,”—he pointed at Mini Gambit— “with you, I’ll allow it this once.”

“You got something against outsiders?” Blade asked.

“You could say that. We have a hard time trusting people who show up around here, and for good reason. Can’t be too careful in this part of The Void. Pirates come around here often to loot our supplies—or attempt to, anyway. They’ve tried taking over our shelter many times. Underground shelters are prized in The Void since they give more freedom to their owners.” He lifted his hand to gesture at the room. “You can do whatever you want down here, and Alioth can’t hear a thing. We’re free to move about as we please. We’re free to make noise. Free to do whatever we want, and the beast can’t hear us or swoop down on us. He doesn’t even know we’re here.”

“An’ why ya make exception for us ‘cause of T-Gambit?”

Mini Gambit smiled.

Biker Loki shared his smile. “We’ve done business lots of times. He’s also helped us fight off pirates.”

Everyone looked at Mini Gambit.

“Ah give ‘em stuff in exchange for supplies,” Mini Gambit explained. “Gas ah find in cars an’ other stuff.”

“So, what brings you here now? What information do you seek?”

“We need to know the location of The Graveyard,” said Blade. “Tiny Gambit here said you’d be able to tell us.”

Biker Loki’s hand stopped midair just as he was about to take a sip of his wine. “The Graveyard? Why on earth would you want to go there?”

“We trackin’ Dracula,” said Gambit. “We have good evidence dat tell us he has a second lair dere somewhere.”

“Dracula?” Biker Loki laughed. He downed the rest of his wine in one gulp. “I don’t know about that, but I do know it’s badly haunted, if you believe in that sort of thing.”

“Wha’ ya mean by dat?”

“It’s haunted. What more is there to say? Strange lights, inhuman noises, and apparitions—every grotesque thing that goes bump in the night. It’s all there.”

Gambit moved uneasily, not that he believed in that kind of stuff. But…well, Biker Loki was pretty convincing.

“What sort of graveyard is it?” Blade asked.

Biker Loki shrugged. “A ginormous graveyard that stretches for miles in every direction. Some say it’s more than one graveyard connected, where they came down in the same area after being wiped from the timeline. Miles upon miles of headstones, graves, tombs, and whatever else. There’s an old mausoleum or castle or some such building in the center. It’s pretty harmless during the day, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near it at night. Just think of it. Trying to find your way out of a graveyard that never ends, at night, and with no light to see where you’re going. Sounds like the ultimate chaotic nightmare.”

Gambit, Blade, Child Loki, President Loki, and Mini Gambit exchanged glances.

“Thori not scared. Thori eat ghosts.”

“Could be where he hidin’,” Gambit muttered.

“Obviously,” No Eyes Loki agreed.

“Yeah, and with a cemetery that big, he’s got an endless undead army at the snap of his fingers,” said Blade grimly. “How far in is this mausoleum you spoke of?”

Biker Loki shrugged. “I don’t really know. You just keep riding until you come to it. Maybe a two or three-hour drive?”

“Do you know which direction?”

“Yeah. I’ve been there a couple of times.”

“Care to take us there?”

Biker Loki laughed. “Are you serious? It’ll be dark soon. I’m not stupid.”

“What would you want in exchange?” President Loki asked. “Maybe we can make a deal.”

Biker Loki’s mouth tightened in a straight line, his eyebrows rising. “Not sure anything is worth going to that place after dark. At least nothing in The Void.”

“Come now. Surely there’s something.”

“How about we defeat the pirates that are bothering you?” Blade suggested. “After our mission is over.”

Biker Loki thought for a minute, and then he nodded slowly. “Sounds good. If you’re any good at fighting. But why do you need to get to The Graveyard and find this Dracula? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“He’s planning to invade the TVA and possibly take over the timeline. We’re gonna try to stop him. He also has some of my comrades under his spell, which he’s been using to attack us. I’d also like to put a stop to that and save my friends.”

“He been trynna kill us wit’ Alioth, too,” Gambit added.

“And what if Dracula isn’t there?”

“He’d better be,” Blade growled.

“And how are you going to stop him, may I ask?”

“I’m a vampire hunter.”

“You’re a Dhampir and a vampire hunter? How does that work, exactly?”

Blade pulled out a ten-inch wooden-bladed dirk and gripped it tightly in his fist. It appeared to be ancient and had an intricately carved handle. “It just does.”

Biker Loki regarded him and his weapon for a minute before he poured himself another glass of wine. “You’re taking a big risk doing this, you know that, right? Everyone who’s gone to that graveyard hasn’t come back.”

“You did.”

“True, but I went during the day. We’ll be traveling at night.”

“If we don’ come back, ya can tell our story ‘round de campfire. An’ have a drink for me, yah.” Gambit smiled.

“Speak for yourself, Cajun!” President Loki spat. “I refuse to die in this battle, but you can go out there and get yourself killed if you want to so badly.”

“If ah do, I’mma come back an’ haunt ya.”

“Thori ready!” the Hel-Hound barked. “DIE DRACULA! MURDER YOU!”

President Loki glared at Gambit and Thori, and then he turned to Biker Loki. “Look, I’d much rather stay here than go off fighting this ridiculous battle in some…some…spooky graveyard. Can we discuss you taking me into your group?”

Biker Loki snorted. “You think your life here will be more pleasant?”

“At least you’ve got good wine.”

“But are you prepared to fight pirates with us?”

President Loki studied the other Loki. “If they defeat the pirates, there won’t be anymore, right?”

“You’re not going to help?”

President Loki laughed. “I should say not. I don’t have to! I’m a prince! A god!”

An amused smile curved Biker Loki’s lips. “Your days of being a comfortable, pampered prince are over, brother. No matter where you go in this place, you’re going to live the same way and fight the same battles. It’s about survival now. Not living it up in some glorified palace in Asgard.” He pointed at his bad eye. “I got this fighting pirates. As long as we’re living in this nightmare, we all have to accept that life isn’t going to be the same as it used to be. So, you can either go with your friends to find Dracula, or stay here and help us battle pirates to protect our home and help us scavenge for supplies. Which is it going to be, brother?”

President Loki remained silent. He glanced around him at Gambit and the others. Finally, he sighed. “I’ll go with them to find Dracula,” he mumbled.

Biker Loki’s smile widened. “If you survive your mission, maybe then we can talk about you joining us.”

“When do we start?” Blade asked.

“I can take you there now, if you’re ready.”

“No time like the present. The sooner we find him, the better off we’ll all be.”

“But, what if we don’t have enough gas to get there and back home?” Child Loki asked. “It took us a long time to get here.”

“Oh, you’ll have enough gas, because where we’re going, your sorry vehicle won’t do.” Biker Loki grinned as he put his sunglasses back in place on his face. “It won’t do at all.”

Chapter Text

Gambit watched as Hood Loki and two other Lokis came around the edge of the hillside on motorcycles and parked them next to the station wagon.

“They’re gassed up and ready,” said Hood Loki. “Should be enough to get you there and back.”

Biker Loki, sitting on his bike, nodded.

Seeing that he wasn’t needed anymore, Hood Loki left to go back inside the bunker with one of the other Lokis following him.

“We all ridin’ bikes?” Gambit asked.

“Of course,” Biker Loki replied. “Where we’re going, that rattletrap vehicle of yours will never make it through the headstones. There’s not enough space to ride a car through.”

“Y’know dis pleases me.”

“But I don’t know how to ride a bike!” President Loki cried out.

“You’ll have to ride with someone.”

“Just as I will have to, obviously,” said No Eyes Loki.

“Here, take Thori.” Child Loki handed the pup to Gambit. “He’ll probably be happier riding with you.”

Gambit took him and put him on the bike’s seat, but the pup, instead, leaped on top of the windscreen and perched himself there.

“Aw, yeeeeeeah!” Thori said, his mouth flames flaring. “This is what I’m talking about!”

“Are ya sure ya know whut yer’re doin’?” Miss Minutes asked.

“‘Course. Ah yoosta ride a bike all da time back home. Ain’t nuttin’ to it.”

“The eyeless one can ride with me,” said Blade.

“Who do I ride with?” President Loki looked at Gambit.

Gambit held up his hands. “Ya ain’t ridin’ here, mon ami.”

“I’ll ride with Gambit!” Child Loki shouted out as he ran over to stand beside the Cajun. “After all, we’re brothers.”

“Dere. De child, Miss Minutes, an’ Thori are ridin’ wit’ me. We full up.” He was relieved, because he didn’t like the idea of having to ride that distance with President Loki complaining behind him, poking him, and goodness knows what else.

“I’ll go along and take someone,” said the Loki who had stayed behind. He stepped forward. He looked similar in appearance to Biker Loki, except that his torso and arms were more muscular and free of tattoos. He was dressed in black leather, covered in gold spikes and studs. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he sported gold knuckledusters on each hand. A large sword and sheath were strapped to his back. “I’m sorta itching for some action.”

“Fighting off pirates isn’t enough?” Biker Loki chuckled.

“That’s just an appetite wetter.” He grinned.

“Ah’ll ride wit’cha,” said Mini Gambit.

“Mrrrrrr!?” said Jeff.

“An’ Jeff.”

“Looks like you’re riding with me.” Biker Loki turned his eyes to the President.

“Watch your back,” Blade cautioned.

“Hey, I resent that!” President Loki spat.

“Just giving the man a heads up.”

“Ah, but we’re both Lokis.” Biker Loki flashed a grin at President Loki. “Naturally, I can handle myself.”

“Yeah, but some of you are worse than others,” Blade mumbled.

No Eyes Loki settled in place behind him. “I wouldn’t worry. I think he can handle our arrogant brother.”

Gambit swung his leg over and sat down on the seat of his bike with a jolt. “Ow!” He didn’t mean to yelp out loud and draw attention to himself, but then again, he never considered his still freshly spanked backside not agreeing with the bike’s seat. He winced and squirmed.

Biker Loki looked at him quizzically. “Something wrong?”

Gambit stopped rubbing his bottom and cleared his throat. “Non. N-nothin’ wrong.” He shifted his eyes to everyone, his face flushing red.

All of them but Biker Loki and Knucks Loki shared knowing smiles as they glanced at the Cajun.

“Ah hope ma bottom last t’rough dis,” he whispered to Miss Minutes.

“It will, sugah.”

Gambit gave her a look. “De way it feel righ’ now, ah hope it ain’t blistered time we get dere.”

Miss Minutes giggled. She squeezed down into his coat collar and snuggled up next to his head.

“Ya migh’ wanna hang on, petite. Don’ wanna lose ya.”

With Biker Loki in the lead, it was a thirty-minute drive across junk-littered fields and rugged terrain. At last, Biker Loki signaled with his hand for everyone to slow down as they pulled up to the outer edge of a field full of headstones that, like Biker Loki had said, stretched for miles in all directions. They got off their bikes to stretch their legs and marvel over the spectacle before them. There were headstones of every shape and size. Some were tilted at an angle, while others were broken off. Some looked newer, while others had the appearance of being ancient—moss-covered and worn down to the point of no longer having writing on them. All of them were mixed together, where you couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

“Ah ain’t never seen nuttin’ like it,” said Gambit as he stood and peered out over the sea of mismatched rocks jutting out of the earth. He made sure to stand away from the new Lokis while he subtly rubbed his bottom and thighs. The drive there made him even sorer. Miss Minutes hovered in place beside his shoulder.

“Talk ‘bout desecratin’ de dead,” Mini Gambit mumbled.

“So it doesn’t matter if you’re alive or not, you still get pruned here,” President Loki muttered.

“Appears that way,” said Blade.

Jeff and Thori ran between the headstones and sniffed around. Thori hiked his leg and emptied his bladder on one.

Gambit frowned. “Hey! Don’ be doin’ dat! It disrespectful!”

“I think it pales in comparison to what the TVA has already done,” Thori replied. “Besides, I had to go somewhere. Thori was busting.”

Gambit pulled Thori’s happy face ball from his pocket and threw it out between the headstones. The Hel-Hound ran after it while shouting about murder and death.

“Some have said there are layers of graveyards here, stacked on top of each other,” said Biker Loki.

“Somehow, dat don’ help de feel of dis place,” Mini Gambit remarked.

“Which direction is the mausoleum?” Blade asked.

“About a two or three-hour drive in that direction.” He pointed to his left.

“And you said you know this because you’ve been out there before?”

“Yes. I’ve driven out there. Just to see what was there and to see how far this horror-scape stretches.”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth and aren’t leading us into some kind of trap?”

Biker Loki grinned. “Why would I want to lead you into a trap?”

“Because you’re a Loki?”

Biker Loki shrugged. “Fair point. You’ll just have to take my word and trust me. I have no reason to lead you into a trap. I didn’t even know you were coming.”

“We’ll have to trust him,” said No Eyes Loki, “if we want to stop Dracula.”

“I just want to make sure he’s not going to leave us stranded out there for Alioth to pick off.”

“Believe me, I have no intentions of doing that.”

“It’s the chance we’ll have to take,” said No Eyes Loki.

“I don’t like being out there without shelter to run into,” Blade continued to mumble. “But if it means I finally get to run my dirk through Dracula’s heart, I’ll do it.” He nodded at Biker Loki. “Lead the way.”

“Maybe if we hurry, we can get through there before Alioth can spot us,” said Child Loki.

“Ah t’ink we needa take our time at dis. Ah don’ wanna take no chance runnin’ into one of dem stones.” Gambit took the ball from Thori’s mouth and threw it again. This time, Jeff ran after the pup, but Thori reached the ball first. “‘Cause ah don’ fancy needin’ ta be buried here myself.”

“There are some clear, wide paths we can take, but, yes, be mindful of how you drive here.” Biker Loki adjusted his sunglasses. “It will take us a bit longer to get there because of having to dodge stones. As long as you follow me, you should be fine. I’ll lead everyone around the tight areas the best I can. Be sure to follow me. You don’t want to get separated out there. We might not be able to find each other.”

“It’s getting dark,” Child Loki said with a shudder. No one had paid much attention to the sky the whole time they were driving. Now that Child Loki mentioned something about it, everyone turned their eyes to the fading light overhead. “We aren’t supposed to be out here after dark, right? Because it’s haunted?”

“Naaaah, ah ain’t gonna go believin’ none dem superstishons.” Gambit waved it off.

“I’m sure it’s Dracula doing the haunting,” said Blade.

“Wha’ he said, yah. Ain’t nuttin’ ta be ‘fraid of. Right, Blade?”

Blade nodded.

Biker Loki addressed the group, “Even though our bikes have headlights, we still need something that marks where we are in case we get separated.” He enchanted his chain with glowing green magic. Knucks Loki’s knuckledusters glowed with the same magic, and so did the hilt of his sword.

“Ah t’ink Miss Minutes works for us,” said Gambit as he looked up at the glowing orange clock. She smiled and performed a flip.

“Don’t forget Thori!” The pup’s mouth flames blazed brighter.

“An’ we got Thori, yah.”

“What are we gonna use?” Blade asked.

“Here.” Gambit charged a playing card and handed it to him.

Blade accepted it hesitantly. “Okay, but this isn’t gonna blow up, is it?”

“Not unless ah will it to.” He charged another one and placed it in No Eyes Loki’s hand. The blind Loki ran his fingers over it, sensing the energy.

Mini Gambit whipped out his bo staff and charged it. “Now dat we look like an army of glow sticks, let’s ride!”

Gambit hesitated as he stared at the bike seat.

“What’s wrong, Remy?” Miss Minutes whispered.

“Ah ain’t lookin’ forward ta two hours of ridin’ on dis bike.”

Thori chuckled from his seat on the windscreen. He let Gambit take the ball from his mouth to put back in his pocket.

“If ah ever needed Mobius’ pillow, it’d be now.”

Miss Minutes smiled. “After this is over, ah’ll massage it for ya if’n ya want.”

“Temptin’ offer, but somehow dat don’ sound right.” He gave his bottom a brisk rub. “But ah migh’ change my mind.”

Miss Minutes nestled snugly in the back part of Gambit’s collar again.

Smirking, Gambit reached up and tickled her. “Be honest. Ya jus’ wanna massage my butt ‘cause ya t’ink it cute.”

Miss Minutes giggled and swatted his hand. “No, ah don’t. Ah’m just tryin’ ta help ya.”

“Sure ya are.” Gambit sat down gingerly. “Ya ain’t gon’ admit ya like dese Cajun buns.”

“Ah’m gunna paddle those Cajun buns again if’n ya don’t behave,” she laughed.

“Want Thori to toast them?”

Gambit frowned. “Non!”

Driving a motorcycle through a field of headstones was tricky even for a seasoned biker like Gambit. He kept up with the others the best he could while keeping his eyes peeled for stones, especially the flat ones. Thankfully, graves are normally spaced far enough apart that a motorcycle can be driven through them easily enough. However, since this field had multiple graveyards merged together, there were areas where it was difficult to maneuver through since the headstones were butted against each other or close enough together that the riders had to slow down and veer around the stone clusters. Goodness only knows what they looked like underground. It was something Gambit didn’t want to think about.

After about an hour’s drive, the sky was painted in the colors of twilight—what constituted as twilight in The Void, anyway. Gambit began to understand why Biker Loki had wanted them to mark themselves with something that glowed. It was difficult to make out anything even in the semi-darkness. It got worse the darker it became. Headstones, the ground, the sky, and bikers alike started blending together in one mass of coal black. He kept his eyes on the green glow ahead of him and made sure to follow Biker Loki’s chain, as did the others. President Loki had pulled out a dagger and illuminated it with green magic, too. Not only was Biker Loki the lead biker, but it also helped the Cajun know what to veer around. If Biker Loki swerved one way, it told him he needed to do the same once he got to that spot. On his left, he could see the purple glow of Blade and No Eyes Loki’s cards. On his right, the green glow of Knucks Loki’s knuckledusters and hilt, and the purple glow of Mini Gambit’s staff stood out.

“Careful, Remy,” Miss Minutes said close to his ear. The clock shifted restlessly in his collar.

Suddenly, Thori started barking madly at something on Gambit’s right, past Knucks Loki.

“Wha’ is it, Thori?” Gambit shouted.

“MONSTER! MURDER! Thori shouted out before he commenced barking again. His mouth flames flared.

Gambit strained to see what got Thori worked up, but it was too dark to see anything.

“Ah t’ink ya seein’ t’ings, mon ami.”

“Thori not see things! Monster! Vile, filthy beast of a monster!” Thori was about to bust a gut barking and almost came close to falling off the front of the motorcycle, urging Gambit to come to a halt. Thori flew off the bike and bolted out into the headstones. His flaming mouth was all Gambit could see in the ever-growing darkness.

“Wha’ got into him?” Gambit shouted to Child Loki.

“Dunno.” Child Loki moved behind him, gripping his coat tightly. “THORI!”

“Ah ain’t gon’ move ‘til he come back!” Gambit poked his collar. “Miss Minutes, go an’ tell de leader Loki ah needa see him! Hurry, ‘fore he get too far ahead.”

“Okay, Remy!” The clock zoomed as fast as she could go.

Gambit turned off his bike to save gas as he kept his eyes on the Hel-Hound. Thori zigzagged between stones, barking, spewing flames, and leaving a trail of fire where he ignited the grass.

“He taré. He gon’ burn de place up.”

“THORI!” Child Loki called out again. Thori didn’t hear, however—didn’t even acknowledge.

“Oww. Ah gotta get off.” Gambit slid off the bike. “Ma butt’s hurtin’.” He stood and rubbed his bottom.

“I thought you had a healing factor.”

“Ah do. It feels better’n it did, but it still sore.” A noise from behind made Gambit spin around and whip out his bo staff. He charged it, lighting up the nearby area in a purple glow. “Who dat?” he shouted into the field.

“What is it?” Child Loki whispered as he turned wide eyes in the direction Gambit was looking.

“Ya didn’ hear dat?”

Child Loki shook his head. “No. Hear what?”

“What’s going on?” Biker Loki shouted as he pulled up, Miss Minutes hovering around his shoulders.

Gambit turned to him. “Ah dunno!” He made a turning gesture with his hand.

Biker Loki turned off his engine.

“Ah dunno,” Gambit repeated.

The others pulled up around them and cut their engines. Thori was still running around, barking and spewing fire out in the middle of the headstones.

Gambit continued, “Thori, he went mad, yah. Started barkin’ his fool head off at somethin’ out dere. Den ah heard somethin’ back dat way.”

“THORI!” Child Loki shouted. “Come here, boy!”

“Stay quiet, both of you,” Biker Loki ordered. He watched Thori running around irregularly.

“It looks like he’s fighting someone,” said Child Loki softly.

“Or something,” Blade added. “There’s a presence here… I can sense it.”

Knucks Loki pulled out his sword and lit up the whole thing with magic, also keeping his eyes on the Hel-Hound.

“Everyone, stay close,” Biker Loki commanded. He pulled his chain off and gripped it in his hand. He touched his bike with his other hand, and the wheels lit up with the same green glow and began moving slowly on their own. Knucks Loki did the same with his bike.

“Se! Der borte!” Knucks Loki pointed. “Det var noe som beveget seg.”

Biker Loki’s motorcycle rolled slowly in that direction as he kept his eyes trained forward, straining to see whatever was out there. “Vær på vakt,” he said.

Gambit wasn’t familiar with the words the two Lokis spoke, but he assumed it was their native language.

“Wha’ dey say?”

“They’re speaking Asgardian.” Child Loki replied. “The one with the sword saw something move out there. The other one said to stay alert.”

Both of them kept their eyes on the field.

Miss Minutes returned to her place in Gambit’s collar, hunkering down in it as much as she could. “This place feels spooky all of uh sudden,” she whispered with a shudder that Gambit felt on the back of his neck.

He lifted his hand and touched the clock. “Ah startin’ ta feel de same way, petite.”

The group stood motionless for a few minutes as Thori continued barking at something invisible to their eyes.

There was a sudden cry that made everyone jump and turn.

No Eyes Loki was snatched from the back of Blade’s bike and pulled into the headstones.

Blade reacted by pulling out a dagger in each hand, but he was too late. The blind Loki was gone.

“Eyeless!” Blade shouted.

“Wha’ happen??”

“Something grabbed Eyeless.” Blade leaped from his bike and ran into the gravestones, but stopped partway in.

The area the trickster disappeared into lit up with a green explosion. No Eyes Loki flew up and hovered in the air over it as he shot several magic bursts at the ground, shattering headstones into a million pieces. Some of the stone shards rained down and hit Gambit’s shoulders.

“Loki!” Gambit shouted. “T’row ya card!”

No Eyes Loki pulled the glowing card from his tunic’s belt, threw it toward the ground, and flew backward away from it.

It detonated with an even louder explosion and a bright burst of purple that devastated the surrounding area and knocked No Eyes Loki back a couple of feet. He steadied himself.

“My apologies to de deceased in dat area,” said Gambit. “Please don’ come back ta haunt me. Ah jus’ a poor Cajun who trynna make sense of all dis.”

“Ah think they’ll forgive ya under tha circumstances,” said Miss Minutes.

“What is it?? What are we up against?” President Loki asked. He had gotten off the motorcycle and was standing in the middle of the group. He glanced around nervously, both of his hands glowing with magic. “I don’t see anything out there.”

“I don’t know,” Biker Loki replied.

“It’s the ghosts that haunt the place,” Child Loki whimpered.

No Eyes Loki floated down and hovered beside President Loki. He sent out a magic pulse that swept over the surrounding area…and gasped.

“What do you see?” Blade asked.

“They’re humanoid in shape, and there are hundreds of them surrounding us and more coming out of the ground.”

Everyone looked around as if they could see what he was seeing.

“So ya tellin’ me we gon’ be fightin’ zombies? Ah ain’t ready for dis, mon ami,” said Gambit, shaking his head.

“Not zombies. More like undead shadow creatures,” No Eyes Loki explained. “They appear humanoid, but they’re more like…shadows—perhaps from the Shadow Realm.”

“I’ve heard of that,” said Biker Loki.

“Den how dey grab ya?”

“They must be solid to some degree,” Knucks Loki swung his sword around. “And if they are, that means they can be damaged.”

“Whatever they are, I’m sure Dracula’s the one they’re working for.” Blade tightened his palms around his daggers. “We’ve gotta get to that mausoleum.”

“It look like ya gonna have ta get through his welcomin’ committee first.” Gambit pointed. “Look!”

Everyone turned their eyes in the direction Gambit pointed.

In the flickering orange light from the grass fire that Thori started, they could see dark human shapes crawling to the top of the headstones like swiveled mummies rising from their sarcophaguses. Hundreds of them—maybe even thousands. The group was suddenly aware of movement all around them as more of the shadow corpses came up from graves below the ground. The monsters opened their eyes one by one like lights coming on throughout a city—glowing red against the darkness.

Thori barked and howled as he bounded over the stones and skidded to a stop near Gambit’s feet. He snarled, and his hackles stood on end.

Knucks Loki brandished his sword, itching to begin slicing and dicing.

“This might be fun after all,” said Biker Loki as he tightened his chain around his hand, twisting it over his knuckles.

“So, when do we let ‘em know we mean business?” Gambit asked. A few cards fell out of his sleeve into his palm, and he charged them.

“Let them get a little closer,” Blade replied as he kept his eyes fixed on the ones approaching him.

Mini Gambit stood on the bike seat, his bo staff still charged. Jeff stood beside him with a knife in his mouth.

“Mrrrrr!” said Jeff.

“Jus’ wait, mon ami,” Mini Gambit whispered as he kept his hand on the shark.

The shadow creatures made the first move when one of them jumped at Blade. The vampire hunter brought his dagger up and sliced through the creature’s chest, and the thing disintegrated into black powdery dust. Blade flipped his dagger around in his hand. “Looks like they’re solid enough to me.”

“That’s all I wanted to know.” Knucks Loki charged forward on his bike into a thick grouping of the creatures, swinging his sword. Biker Loki joined him as he lashed out with his enchanted chain, which grew longer every time he snapped it. After taking out a group of monsters, he swung it around, wrapped it around the nearest headstone, and pulled it up. With a flick of his wrist, he flung the piece of stone out into the thick of the monsters, crushing several under its weight. He wrapped his chain around another and flung it out in another direction. Inhuman screeches and sickly thuds echoed loudly across the battlefield as both Lokis moved in closer, slashing, whipping, and throwing headstones.

Gambit threw cards into the creatures behind him and detonated them. There was a loud screech as the explosion took out a section of headstones along with whatever creatures were unfortunate enough to be in the path.

“Haha!” he laughed.

No Eyes Loki kept to the air and sent out a volley of magical bursts into the field, taking out distant creatures before they could reach them. “There are too many of them!” he shouted out. “We won’t be able to keep this up forever. We’ll exhaust ourselves before we get even halfway through this massive army.”

“We can bloody try, at least,” Blade grunted as he sliced through four more creatures. “If we only had a way to slow them down long enough for us to continue.”

“We’d better come up with a solution fast. We can’t hold them off forever, and we can’t ride on, either. They’ll swarm us and pull us off our bikes, sure enough.”

It took President Loki a longer time to join the battle, but he eventually did, running up to stand at Biker Loki’s side. He let out a high-pitched scream when one of the shadow creatures clamped a hand around his ankle. Spinning around, he shot it with a magical burst, earning a bemused look from Biker Loki and Knucks Loki.

“It had a filthy hand around my leg!” he explained.

Child Loki did his best to fend off the monsters that came at him, but his magic wasn’t as advanced as his older brothers. He shot out bursts, but only small ones that barely grazed the top of the nearest headstone. Thori was at his side immediately to help protect his friend. He breathed out a blazing stream of fire that instantly wiped out every creature it touched.

“UGLY MONSTERS!” he screamed out. “Your faces would make an onion cry!”

“Ya jus’ make sure not ta breathe dat dis way,” Gambit called over his shoulder.

“Why?” Thori chuckled. “A little fire on your butt will make you move faster.”

“Haha, very funny.” Gambit threw another charged card and detonated it. He glanced behind him to make sure the hound was only joking. Thori was already gone, however, as he ran out into the headstones, breathing out more fire on the advancing creatures.

Mini Gambit bounced off headstones and performed acrobatic flips in the air as he hit monsters with his staff and hurled explosive cards while Jeff took out the ones coming out of the ground with his knife.

Gambit charged a couple of cards and handed them to Miss Minutes, who was still hunkered down inside his collar.

“Here, petite.”

The clock looked at the cards in confusion as she took them reluctantly. “Whut do ya want me ta do with ‘em?”

“Throw ‘em.”

“Throw ‘em??”

“Ouais.”

“Ah don’t wanna get involved in this, Remy!”

“Ya are involved.” Gambit swung his staff around and took out a group of the creatures. “Ah suggest ya t’row dem cards, ‘cause I’mma gon’ detonate ‘em.”

With a yelp, Miss Minutes flew up and flung them out into the field.

((( BOOM!!! )))

“Now, ain’t dat fun?”

“Y-yeah, kinda.”

Gambit shook his sleeve, but no cards came out. “Shoot, ah’m out.” Keeping his eyes on the advancing creatures, he patted his coat, stuck his hand inside, and pulled out…

“Thori! Wha’ ya do??” He turned the silver-wrapped squares over in his hand. “Ya gave me Pop-Tarts instead of cards!?” He swung his staff around and took out another grouping of creatures coming up on his right. “THORI!”

“I gave you cards, too. Look in your other pocket, dipwad. Thori thought Pop-Tarts would be a fun change.”

“Glad ya ain't filled it wit’ fried chicken!”

“I would have, but Thori didn’t have fried chicken.”

“Don’ be wastin’ our food like dat!” Gambit unwrapped them with his teeth as he shook his head. “When life gives ya lemons as dey say.” He charged the pastries and flung them at the undead creatures coming up behind him. The Pop-Tarts exploded, taking the creatures with them.

“Take that, wretched, filthy shadow creatures!” Thori shouted. “Death by Pop-Tarts!” The Hel-Hound howled and charged into a cluster closing in on Child Loki.

“He nuts,” Gambit muttered. “Hope ah don’ get dat bad after stayin’ in dis place.” He reached into his coat again and pulled out a fresh pack of cards.

“REMY!” Miss Minutes shouted.

Gambit looked up just in time to swing his staff into another cluster of the creatures.

“Dey never end.” He fiddled with the cards, trying to get the box open.

“Gambit!” Child Loki shouted.

“GAMBIT!!” Mini Gambit shouted.

“GAMBIT!!!” Child Loki, Blade, and Mini Gambit shouted together.

“WHA’???” Gambit looked up.

President Loki leaped forward, knocked the Cajun out of the way, and blasted the creature inches from him with a burst of magic. “Behind you, you blithering idiot! It almost had you!”

“Why didn’t ya say so?”

“They were trying to!”

“Did ya jus’ save my life?”

“No. I pushed you out of the way so I could blast that creature. You were spoiling my aim.”

Gambit smirked. He looked up at Miss Minutes. “Why didn’t ya tell me??”

“Ah didn’t see it! Ah wuz lookin’ at them!” Her eyes wide, she pointed in the other direction at a massive swarm of shadow creatures coming over the headstones like a wave.

“Mais, garde des don!” Gambit’s eyes widened.

“BLADE!” President Loki shouted. “A little help over here!”

Blade whirled around, locking eyes on the tidal wave of monsters. His mouth fell open. “Holy…” he breathed.

Gambit finally got his cards open. He dropped his bo staff in favor of charging the entire deck, the cards floating and weaving in midair between his palms as if they were enchanted. His eyes glowed intensely as he pumped as much energy charge as he could into them until they went from purple to almost white. Finally, he rolled them and began flinging them out into the wave of monsters like he was shooting off missiles. Deafening explosions rocked the area, sending up clouds of flame, smoke, and black powder as the creatures disintegrated on impact. Loud screeches and wails erupted along with the blasts. Pieces of rock from destroyed headstones rained down around the group like hail. He managed to clear the wave in a matter of a few seconds, leaving behind a sea of devastation as flames and smoke rose. The Cajun staggered back, his hands trembling.

“Woo! Gambit, jus’ gettin’ warmed up, yah.” He wiped sweat from his face with the back of his hand.

No Eyes Loki had been staring intently at the young Cajun, if staring is the right word for an eyeless man. He had picked up on Gambit’s massive energy spike the second he started charging his cards, again tapping into the mystical qualities of Gambit’s power.

Gambit’s card volley cleared out the majority of the monsters for the time being, allowing the group the lull they desperately needed.

“I think we need to move out of here, people!” Blade shouted. “We need to make it to that mausoleum while we’ve got a chance.”

“Agreed,” Biker Loki said as he swung his glowing chain at a few remaining shadows, snapping it like a whip. “Saddle up! We’re riding out of this nightmare.”

“I hope that didn’t signal Alioth, because that’s the last thing we need right now,” said Knucks Loki as he sheathed his sword.

“Best we get as far away from this area as we can,” said Biker Loki. “You might not want to put that sword away just yet, my friend. I have a feeling you’re gonna need it again. We’ve still got a long stretch of cemetery to ride through.” He flexed his chain.

“Are ya okay, Remy?” Miss Minutes asked as she eyed the Cajun with concern.

Gambit nodded. “Ah’m fine, yah. Jus’ a lil’ shook is all.” He relaxed and put his bo staff away inside his coat. “Ah ain’t never seen nuttin’ like dat. Ain’t wanna see nuttin’ like it again.”

Miss Minutes snuggled down into his collar and kissed his cheek. “Let’s go, sugah. Ya did good.”

He nodded.

Everyone took their places on their bikes and pulled out of the area, following Biker Loki and Knucks Loki.

Thori stood on the front of Gambit’s motorcycle and screamed out curses and death while spewing fire, doing his best to keep the monsters at bay as the riders maneuvered their bikes around headstones and debris.

Chapter Text

The group made their way across the cemetery as fast as they could, headed toward the center with Biker Loki in the lead. To keep the shadow monsters from getting them, the adult Lokis enchanted their motorcycles so that they flew about ten feet over the headstones. Doing it this way also made their trip faster, since they didn’t have to swerve and dodge, except when passing the tall obelisk monuments.

Gambit peered down at the gruesome, dark, red-eyed creatures that swarmed under them like ants as they passed overhead. The green glow from the motorcycles’ wheels illuminated swiveled, gaping mouths and long, bony arms that reached up in an attempt to grab them. He shuddered. Every ghost story he’d ever heard come out of New Orleans paled in comparison to this nightmare.

Biker Loki and Knucks Loki swung their chain and sword at the creatures that came too close. Occasionally, they lowered their bikes and mowed down whatever monsters were in their way. Blade sliced off the hands that came near him. Gambit charged cards and handed them to Miss Minutes to throw, and threw some himself. Thori breathed fire at anything that came within a few yards of him. Together, they cleared a path to their destination. Before too long, an ominous dark structure came into view directly ahead, randomly placed in the center of the field. It was a Gothic mausoleum with spires jutting from the top, resembling a castle. At least, that’s what Gambit thought he saw. It was hard to tell because of how dark it was. Strange, cold purple light filled the windows, making it easy to pinpoint its exact location.

“That’s the mausoleum!” Biker Loki shouted behind him.

“You weren’t kidding,” Blade replied.

“Dat look Dracula-ish, alright.”

“DIE! MURDER YOU, FILTHY VAMPIRE!” Thori screamed out.

When they reached the edge of the graveyard, they came in for a landing and cut their engines. Swarms of the shadow creatures moved and swirled restlessly behind them, wailing and stretching out their hands, but they stayed within the confines of the headstones…for whatever reason.

Thori snarled and growled at them.

Blade kept his sword ready. “Look alive, people. I expect the Commandos to show up any minute as a last line of defense.”

“Kinda hard ta look alive when ya jus’ came outta de cemetery,” Gambit laughed.

Miss Minutes swatted the back of his head.

“Wha’??”

“It ain’t de Commandos ah’m worried ‘bout, mon ami,” said Mini Gambit as he kept his eyes on the shadow creatures. His eyes glowed as red as the monsters.

“Mrrrrrr,” said Jeff. The shark threw a nervous glance around him.

“They’re waiting for orders from the big man,” said Blade. “Otherwise, they’d have swarmed us by now.”

“Ah still don’ trust ‘em.” Mini Gambit pulled out his bo staff and charged it.

“Aside from that, it’s quiet,” Biker Loki whispered.

“Yeah. A little too quiet.” Blade pulled out another sword. “I know he knows we’re coming.” He gestured behind them with a nod of his head. “Our friends back there are proof of it.”

Child Loki gripped Gambit tighter, punching him in the side and pointing to their left. “Wha-what’s that?”

A group of glowing eyes approached them slowly.

“De shadow creatures!” Mini Gambit squeaked.

“No, it’s not them. Some of them are too tall,” said Blade. “Those are the Commandos.”

“Ah t’ought dey only four of dem. Who de others?” Gambit’s eyes swept over the large crowd walking toward them. He had a hard time telling who the other variants were, other than the Commandos in front. All he could see was a massive sea of glowing red eyes that blended in with the shadow creatures around them. However, he thought some of them might be human or humanoid, anyway.

“Must be Dracula’s army,” President Loki muttered.

“Ah t’ought dat out dere was his army!” said Mini Gambit, pointing at the shadow creatures.

“He’s bewitched more variants like we surmised.” Blade hopped off his bike.

No Eyes Loki sent out a pulse. “It’s the Commandos, alright, and there are others. Some human and some non-human. They’re all variants he’s hypnotized, like Blade said.”

Biker Loki conjured a ball of green fire in the palm of his hand and threw it at the ground between them and the oncoming army, creating a wall of unnatural flames.

“That should hold them off for a while.”

“But not for long…” said Blade. “Is everyone ready?”

“What’s the plan?” President Loki asked.

“I need all of you to keep them distracted while I get to the mausoleum.”

“Ya ain’t goin’ in dere alone, are ya?” Gambit turned to Blade.

“Yeah, I am. This is something I’ve got to do.” He switched out his swords for the wooden dirk. “It’s my job as a vampire hunter.”

“I’mma goin’ wit’cha, den.”

“No. You stay here. You’re a powerful weapon the group needs.”

“It’s okay. We can handle them,” said Biker Loki. “You two go ahead and end this nightmare.”

“Alright, then.”

“Thori go with you!”

“Listen, this isn’t a party.”

“Thori go with you. Protect Baby Cajun.”

“Ah appreciate dat, but ah can look after myself jus’ fine.”

Thori walked over and stood between Gambit’s feet.

“Just go!” Biker Loki urged. “We’re going to have company in a few minutes once those flames die out.”

“Ah’ll stay here,” said Miss Minutes.

“Ya sure?”

“Yeah, ah’m sure. Since Thori is goin’ with ya, Child Loki needs someone ta watch after him.”

The Cajun nodded.

“Don’t kill them,” Blade instructed as he pointed at the army. “The Commandos are my friends, and the others are innocent people like ourselves. It’s Dracula we want.”

“Don’t worry,” Biker Loki assured. “We’ll just hold them off until you can break the spell. Maybe injure a few at the most.”

“Be careful, Remy,” Miss Minutes said as she kissed Gambit’s cheek.

“Don’ go worryin’ none, petite. We gon’ be back ‘fore ya know it.” He tickled her.

“Yes, be careful, my friends,” said No Eyes Loki.

Gambit squeezed his arm. “We will.”

Blade, Gambit, and Thori ran in the opposite direction. They wanted to think they were sneaking up on the mausoleum, but the sea of red eyes in the cemetery around them reminded them that Dracula was probably watching their every move and knew they were coming.

“You ready, guys?” Biker Loki asked. As before, Biker Loki and Knucks Loki enchanted their bikes to move on their own while they focused their attention on handling their weapons. Biker Loki swung his chain around in a circle over his head, gaining momentum each time it made a pass until it was a glowing green blur. Unlike before, his eyes as well as his tattoos lit up with the same magic his chain and bike were enchanted with as he conjured more magical energy into himself.

“Let’s get them!” Knucks Loki screamed.

They charged forward just as the last flame fizzled out.

The two groups collided.

Even though they knew the other side badly outnumbered them, the Lokis, Mini Gambit, Miss Minutes, and Jeff ran headfirst into the oncoming storm, determined to hold them off as long as it took for their comrades to deal with Dracula.

Biker Loki wrapped his chain around Man-Thing’s neck and used it to swing around and perch himself on top of the creature’s shoulders.

Knucks Loki swung his sword around and hit several of the zombie-fied variants.

“Blade said not to kill them!” Child Loki shouted.

“I’m not aiming to kill them,” Knucks Loki shouted back as he swung his sword back around. “Just stunning them a bit.” He hit a few with his enchanted knuckledusters and dropkicked an advancing blue-skinned man, who flew back into several other people, all of them toppling like bowling pins.

Jack Russell jumped on top of Knucks Loki, growling and snarling. Before he had a chance to sink his teeth in, a chain wrapped around him, and he was jerked backward and slammed into Man-Thing. Knucks Loki turned around to see Biker Loki still standing on top of the swamp creature, the werewolf dangling from his chain.

“You’re welcome,” said Biker Loki, smirking.

No Eyes Loki, after sending out his pulse, levitated high in the air and shot low-grade magical bursts into the crowd. They exploded on impact, sending variants toppling in all directions.

Mini Gambit bounced off everyone and performed flips in the air as he clonked people on the head with his bo staff and threw low-charged cards that snapped like firecrackers while Jeff ran in between everyone, biting at their ankles and poking with his knife.

Miss Minutes grew in size and took out half the crowd with one sweep of her hand.

President Loki blasted away with magical bursts. “Someone needs to take out that mummy before he puts a spell on us all!”

Knucks Loki turned around, fixing his eyes on N’Kantu, who was making his way through the throng, his bandages snaking out toward him.

“You want to cast spells, huh?”

N’Kantu raised his hands, his eyes glowing like two blazing coals. He opened his mouth and started uttering an incantation, but Knucks Loki’s knuckledusters, making contact with his jaw, stopped him midsentence. The mummy staggered back, momentarily stunned.

“I’ll show you an incantation.” Knucks Loki stretched out his hand, wiggled his fingers, and balled them in a fist. Instantly, the mummy was shrouded in a green mist that shrunk him down, down, down, and poof! N’Kantu suddenly found himself trapped inside a tiny glass bottle with a cork in the top. Knucks Loki snatched it up and put it inside his pocket. “The mummy won’t be a problem anymore!” he shouted out just as Frankenstein tackled him to the ground. “Really??”

President Loki shapeshifted into a dragon and took out another section of the crowd with one swing of his tail.

While the group took care of the hypnotized variants, Blade, Gambit, and Thori walked up to the black wooden double doors of the mausoleum. It was bigger now that they were on its doorstep, and everything was painted black. Tall pillars lined the porch, and a lantern hung on either side of the door, a peculiar bluish-purple flame burning inside. The doorknockers were shaped like a ram-horned devil’s head.

“So far, so good,” Blade whispered.

“Wha’ kinda mausoleum IS dis?” Gambit breathed. “It creepier dan de graveyard.”

“Dracula’s,” Blade answered simply. He pushed open one of the doors and walked inside.

When Gambit took a minute too long, Thori breathed fire on his backside.

“Yow!” He trotted forward. With his hands on his bottom, he glared at the pup. “Seriously? Ya hafta do dat now?”

“Had to get you moving somehow.”

“All ya hafta do is say, ‘Gambit, go inside’!” He rubbed his backside. “Woo! Dat was warmer dan normal. Ya didn’ ignite anythin’, did’ja?” He craned his neck to look behind him.

“Of course not, but I will if you don’t get moving,” Thori teased. “And why would I just tell you to go inside when burning your butt is more fun?”

Grumbling, Gambit walked in with Thori pattering along beside him. Blade was standing a few feet in front of them, his hand gripping the handle of his wooden dirk.

Like the outside, the inside was equally dark with black marble flooring and black stone arched pillars lining both sides of the room. A torch hung on each pillar, lit with the same cold blue-purple flames. The ceiling was vaulted like a cathedral’s and painted with horrific murals depicting various scenes of hell. Along the sides of the room, in the shadows, were claw-foot tables full of skulls, potion bottles, old books, scrolls, candles, and other trinkets and tools connected to black magic.

“Ya got a serious amount of creepy up in here, mon ami. Ya should rent dis place out for Halloween parties, yah.” Gambit wrapped his coat tighter around him. “An’ it cold in here, too.” He pointed down at Thori. “Don’ ya dare.”

“What?”

“Stay ‘way from ma butt.”

Thori grinned.

“Will you two stop?” Blade grumbled. “This is serious.”

“So’s him barbequin’ ma bum.”

Directly ahead, at the farthest end of the building, was a dais on which sat a high-backed stone throne with a black casket on a raised pillar behind it. Dark purple curtains covered the wall behind that. On the throne sat a man…if you could call him a man. More devil than human. He was tall and muscular—dressed in a black and red, spikey armored suit with a black cape that came up in a flared collar around his head. His skin was greenish-gray; his hair snow white and pulled back in a long ponytail near the top of his head. His pointed ears were pierced with big, round gold earrings. In a weird sort of way, his whole appearance and the style of his armor reminded Gambit of a gothic samurai.

“Dat him?” Gambit whispered.

“Yes,” Blade replied.

“Somehow he look different up close. How ya gon’ stab him wit’ dat t’ing if he wearin’ armor?”

“I’m gonna have to find a weak spot.”

“Weak spot nuttin’. Ya gon’ hafta open him up like a can.”

“Welcome to my domicile,” Dracula said, his imperial voice echoing through the chamber. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“I bet you have,” Blade mumbled.

Thori growled, the hair on his back standing on end and his mouth flames flaring.

“Nice purple,” Gambit smiled. “Ah got purple too!” He pulled out a card and charged it.

Blade clasped his hand around the Cajun’s wrist. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he whispered.

“Ah ain’t.”

“You can’t beat him with card tricks.”

“Better listen to him, boy,” Dracula chortled. “Then again, go ahead and let him go, Blade. I’m in the mood for a little entertainment.” He steepled his fingers and grinned wickedly, revealing a mouthful of fangs.

Gambit extinguished his card and scowled at the vampire. “Ah ain’t givin’ ya no entertainment. Unless a charged card down de front of your britches is entertainin’ ‘nough for ya.”

Dracula laughed. “He’s got spunk.”

“Shut your mouth,” Blade snapped.

Dracula’s eyes flashed a bright red, and he gripped the arms of his throne with his clawed, gloved hands hard enough to crack the stone. “Who are you to tell me to shut my mouth?”

“Your fight is with me,” said Blade. “Not him.”

“My fight is with whomever I choose,” said Dracula darkly. He stood up and levitated several feet from the floor, his cape flaring behind him like wings. He stretched out his hand and closed his fingers together like he was grabbing something.

Taking Gambit by surprise, Blade cried out and contorted, lifting off the floor to hang extended in the air. The vampire hunter dropped the wooden dirk he had been holding in favor of clawing at his throat. He made a wheezing, gurgling noise as he fought to breathe.

“Blade!” Gambit cried out.

Thori ran around, barking and growling under Blade’s feet. “FRACKING VAMPIRE SCUMBAG! LET HIM GO!”

“Let this be a lesson, half breed,” Dracula stated calmly. “I’m more powerful than either of you or your pathetic friends outside, so I suggest you forget this little raid and go about your business, because you will never win. Besides, none of this concerns you.”

“Ya let him go!” Gambit threw a card and hit Dracula’s outstretched hand. The vampire let out a yelp and drew his arm back. Just as he did, Blade dropped like a stone to the floor. He gasped and sucked in a huge intake of air, all while Thori ran around him and licked his face. Gambit was unconvinced his card hurt the vampire through his armor, but as long as it broke his concentration, it was okay with him. At least Blade was able to breathe again.

“Ya okay?” Gambit asked as he knelt beside the vampire hunter.

Gasping and wheezing, Blade nodded. “I’ll be okay. Just keep an eye on Dracula until my healing factor revives me.”

“Bad move, little mutant!” Dracula growled. He grabbed hold of Gambit with his invisible hand and slung him against one of the pillars.

Gambit groaned and got to his feet. “Ya t’ink ya Darth Vader or somethin’?” He pulled out his bo staff and extended it. “We were goin’ ‘bout our business until ya decided ta interfere. Bewitchin’ de Commandos an’ trynna kill us wit’ Alioth is interferin’. An’ we ain’t gon’ let ya take over de TVA an’ de timeline.”

“Oh, I think you will.” Dracula made a gesture, and Gambit’s staff was wrenched out of his hand and hovered in the air above him.

Gambit stared up at it, bewildered. “Dat ain’t fair! Ya cheatin’ now!” He pulled out a handful of cards, charged them, and threw them at Dracula.

The dark lord dodged each one and swatted the last two away as if they had been flies. He tsked and waggled his finger. “Naughty boy. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to play with explosives?” With a gesture of his hand, he swung the bo staff around and smacked Gambit’s backside with it.

“OW!” The Cajun jolted forward and grabbed his bottom. He scrambled to get out of the way. “Okay, now ya jus’ fightin’ dirty!”

Dracula chuckled in amusement. “Now this is entertaining.”

“Like it or not, we gon’ stop ya from takin’ over de TVA!”

Dracula brought the staff down on Gambit’s backside again.

“OWwWwWw!” The Cajun howled. “Will ya stoppit already?!” He rubbed the new pain from his rear. The staff came around again and stopped six feet above him, the pointed end facing the Cajun.

“Why do you care what happens to the TVA? They sent you to this wretched purgatory to die. They ruled you unfit to belong on the timeline just because you made a choice.”

“Ah agree, dey ain’t right in what dey do, but we still can’ allow ya ta overtake ‘em. It ain’t de TVA dat’s de issue here, it de timeline. De timeline don’ deserve ya as a ruler.” The staff came closer to Gambit, and he lifted his hands. “Dere jus’ one question, tho.” The staff remained hovering. Gambit eyed the sharp tip nervously.

“Yes?”

“How ya come ta get ya memories back, an’ how ya find out ya can lock on to de Void wit’ a tempad?”

“I discovered my memories on one of the missions I took to the timeline—a Loki, in fact. He enchanted me and unlocked things the TVA hid from me.”

“A Loki? Ah t’ought ya brought in supernatural threats.”

“I do. On this particular mission, there just happened to be a Loki present, helping the variant I was sent to bring in.” Dracula’s mouth tightened. “From that point on, I worked undercover, pretending to be the person the TVA wanted me to be while I worked in the shadows. Working on the inside gave me the perfect opportunity to learn all their weaknesses, secrets, and operations. In time, I learned how to reprogram a tempad by taking it apart and tinkering. A little black magic helped that along. I locked onto The Void—one of the TVA’s biggest kept secrets—quite by accident after casting a spell on the tempad I was working with. It was the perfect hideout and the perfect place to secretly build an army so I could gain control of the organization and overthrow the Time Keepers—become ruler of the Sacred Timeline.” Dracula’s eyes burned brighter, a wicked fanged grin on his lips. “After all, no one at the TVA cares what happens to the people it dumps here. I had my pick of some of the most powerful beings in existence.” He turned his eyes to the vampire hunter. “Like you, Blade.”

“Ya, well…we care ‘bout wha’ happens to de people on de Sacred Timeline. An’ we gonna stop ya!”

Dracula growled. He waved his hand, and the staff swooped down on Gambit.

The Cajun sidestepped, flipped around, rolled, and performed every acrobatic somersault to evade his staff. He hid behind pillars and threw charged cards at it.

Dracula chuckled at his endeavors as he continued to control the mutant’s staff. “Naughty, naughty, little mutant.” He twirled his finger and brought the staff down on the retreating Gambit. Giving the Cajun another smack to his backside.

“Yeeeeouch!! Malheureux!”

The whole time, Thori chased after the possessed staff, growling, jumping, and trying to clamp his jaws around it.

“Foul stick! Leave Baby Cajun’s butt alone!” he growled.

Gambit was making his way toward the front door when Dracula flicked his finger, and the sharp point of the staff jabbed the mutant’s rear.

“Aye-ya-yi!!” Gambit clasped both hands on his bottom and skidded to a stop. “Ah ain’t gon’ be made a fool!” He spun around, his eyes flaring. He was about to send out a volley of cards when the staff clattered to the floor in front of him. Stunned, Gambit looked at Dracula. Blade had bolted forward, swinging his sword around. It hit Dracula’s chest plate, sending out a spray of sparks.

“You know I’m immune to your hypnotism, Dracula,” said Blade, holding the tip of his sword extended toward the vampire’s face.

“Of course.”

“Then how do you expect to control me?”

“I have my ways.” Dracula held up a small, flat square device. “You see, I’ve been around to different timelines and realities and have had a chance to study different techniques. This here is a hypnosis chip. It can put you under my control without me having to use my powers. A bit crude, I agree. Nowhere near as effective as my personal hypnosis, but it still gets the job done.”

Quicker than a flash, Blade flicked the chip out of Dracula’s hand with the tip of his sword.

“What?!?!” Dracula whipped his head around and watched the chip bounce down the dais steps and slide across the floor…coming to a stop at Gambit’s foot.

The Cajun picked it up and charged it. It snapped in the palm of his hand, a wisp of smoke rising. “Oooops! Ah done blew up ya chip, mon vieux.” He brushed the remains onto the floor. “My bad.”

“NO! Curse you!” Dracula snarled.

“CURSE YOURSELF!” Thori screamed back. “Turn yourself into a toad. You’re as ugly as one.”

Gambit threw a card, exploding it in Dracula’s face. The vampire screamed out and reeled.

“How ya like havin’ singed eyebrows, huh?” Gambit smirked. “Dat’s for de whoopin’ ya gave me.” He rubbed his backside. “Ah gon’ have bruises t’anks ta you. An’ ah gotta ride back on a motorcycle.”

Taking the opening Gambit gave him, Blade swung his sword up and slammed it into the side of Dracula’s face, sending the dark lord careening backward into his throne.

“Gambit!” Blade cried out. “The dirk!”

“Thori fetch!” The pup ran and snatched it up and brought it to Gambit. Before the Cajun could take it, however, Thori was lifted high in the air by an invisible force. The Hel-Hound yelped in surprise and dropped the dirk.

“Thori!” Gambit cried out and looked up. A dark look washed over his face, and his eyes glowed a bright purple as he snatched up his staff. He charged it and walked forward. “Ya shouldn’t have done dat, diable.” With one swift swing, he knocked Dracula against the casket, breaking off a huge chunk of the throne’s back.

“Argggh!” the vampire grunted as he rolled over the box.

Thori dropped. Before he could hit the floor, Gambit ran, flipped, and landed directly under the Hel-Hound and caught him. Thori’s little body was shaking all over, and his tail wagged happily as he covered the Cajun’s face with slobbery kisses.

“Thank you, Baby Cajun.”

“Ya welcome. Ah t’ink…” He scrunched up his face as Thori planted a wet lick across his mouth. “Ya better not pee on me.”

In the length of time it took Gambit to catch Thori, Blade was on top of Dracula again, sword swinging. Dracula evaded the blows and hooked Blade with a right jab to his ribcage. Blade staggered back against the curtained wall, a hand cradling his injury.

“Go ahead and kill me if it’ll make you happy,” he seethed.

“I don’t have plans to kill you. I want you as part of my army, remember? Your unique abilities will be a great asset to my cause.”

“You’re not gonna mind control me, fracking dirt bag!” Blade pulled out a dagger and sliced Dracula across the cheek, barely fazing him. “Besides, your chip is ash.”

“I can always make another.” He smiled devilishly. “You and I are alike. I thought it would be nice to have a fellow vampire as my second-in-command, even if you are part human.”

“No, we’re not,” Blade growled. “We’re not alike at all. I’ll never be like you!”

“Thori,” Gambit whispered.

Thori’s head perked up.

“Burn his butt.” Gambit pointed. “Dracula, burn his butt, yah.” He put Thori on the floor, and the pup ran, skittered up the dais’s steps, and slid-skidded into the back of Dracula’s large booted feet.

“Thori burn your BUTT!” he shouted out as he leaned his head back and blasted Dracula’s backside with a burst of hot flames.

“AIEEEEEE!!!” Dracula screamed out. It was enough of a diversion to allow Blade to bring his sword around hard enough to crack against Dracula’s skull, causing him to backpedal.

Gambit came up from behind and wrapped his arms around Dracula and struggled to hang on. He managed to touch his chest plate and charged it before Dracula’s strong arms broke free of him.

There was a purple explosion.

“Arggggh!” Dracula cried out. A loud clang resounded as the smoking piece of red metal hit the floor.

“Ya know, for a powerful bein’, you’re pathetic—lettin’ a lil’ puppy burn ya butt like dat.” Gambit brought his staff down across the vampire’s shoulder with a crack.

“Nnnnggrrr!”

He brought his staff down again across Dracula’s backside with a crisp WHACK!

“AGGGHHH!”

“Dat’s how it feels!”

Thori danced around excitedly, barking and yapping. “Get him! Spank the scumbag vampire! MURDER!”

Dracula turned on Gambit, his eyes flaring a bright red. He bore his fangs and snarled. “I’ve had enough of you!”

“Yah? Ah’m jus’ gettin’ started.” He pulled out some cards. “Ya wanna play? Gambit ready ta play!”

Dracula’s eyes burned intensely as he attempted to gain control of the Cajun’s mind, but something was stopping him.

“Argggh! Why isn’t my hypnotism working?? You seem like such a simpleton.”

“Ya mind control ain’t gon’ work, no. Gambit have too much energy surgin’ t’rough his brain.” He threw his volley of cards that exploded one after the other, causing Dracula to shield himself with his arms.

Thori ran and lunged at the vampire, but Dracula’s form quickly melted and shifted into a giant black wolf that snatched the pup out of thin air. He bit down hard on the Hel-Hound, causing him to screech out, and flung him.

“THORI!!” Gambit screamed. He swung his bo staff and stabbed the wolf in the side with the sharp end, an ear-piercing howl erupting. Then he ran as fast as he could, flipped, slid, and managed to catch Thori just as he was three feet from splattering the floor. The pup felt like a rag in his hands.

“You filthy monster,” Blade seethed as he fixed the wolf vampire with piercing eyes.

“As I recall, you’re too much of a coward to shift.” The wolf chuckled.

“I’m not afraid to shift.” Blade’s body melted into a gray wolf. “I just choose not to because I don’t want to be reminded of the filth that courses through my veins.” He jumped on top of Dracula, his teeth clamping around his throat.

“Thori?!” Gambit’s eyes flitted over the motionless Hel-Hound. “Thori!” He turned the little limp body over in his trembling hands. “Non, non, non. Ya a’right. Please say ya a’right.”

Thori’s eyes were closed, and his mouth was dark—flameless.

He put Thori on the floor gently and knelt beside him. He was vaguely aware of the violent battle going on behind him between Blade and Dracula—his full attention focused on his little friend. He massaged the pup’s side, feeling for any wounds. Dracula bit down on him hard, so there should be blood, right? There wasn’t any. Do Hel-Hounds bleed?

He ran his hand over the pup’s fur. “Please be a’right.” His hands glowed with an intense purple as he gripped the pup’s lifeless body. “My energy can heal me. Maybe it do de same for you, yah.” Thor’s scruffy fur stood on end, seeming to catch the energy that flowed around him.

Gambit stopped and fell back.

Still nothing.

Tears stung his eyes. “If he killed ya, ah promise ah will avenge ya, mon ami.”

“Gambit! The dirk!” Blade shouted, still in wolf form.

Gambit didn’t hear him, however, as he stared at Thori.

“Gambit!”

Gambit clamped his hand around Thori’s muzzle, his hand glowing purple again. “C’mon,” he whispered.

He stopped and let go, some of the purple energy seeping into the Hel-Hound’s mouth.

“GAMBIT!”

The Cajun sighed sadly. He grabbed up his bo staff and prepared to stand up.

Thori’s eyes blinked open, and his mouth ignited with a burst of orange-yellow flames. “Did Thori win?”

Gambit’s eyes widened, and he laughed. “Thori?” He scooped the pup up in his hands and hugged him. “Ya alive! Ya alive!”

“Of course, I’m alive.”

“Ya a’right, buddy?”

“Sure. Thori tough.” He licked Gambit’s face. “Thori hellfire and death.”

Gambit looked toward the dais. Dracula, back in his normal form, almost had wolf Blade down. He had to do something and quickly. His eyes flitted over the room until he spotted Blade’s wooden dirk across from him.

“Dis gotta stop ‘fore someone dies for real.” He rolled and flipped and snatched up the weapon. “BLADE!” he shouted.

Blade turned his head.

“Catch!” The Cajun threw the dirk toward the vampire hunter.

Time stood still for the briefest second as Dracula locked eyes on the wooden stake hurling toward Blade. Blade shifted back into human form, caught it, whipped around, and jammed it deep into Dracula’s chest.

Dracula’s red eyes bulged out, and an inhuman screech came out of his mouth. Shock washed over his green face when he realized he’d just lost the fight. He looked down at the stake buried hilt-deep in his heart, and then he collapsed.

Meanwhile outside:

There was a deafening, blood-curdling screech all over the surrounding cemetery as the shadow creatures dissolved in a black mist and were gone. Dracula’s hold on the Howling Commandos and the other variants dissipated along with them. Each one stopped in the middle of the battle and stood where he or she was, confused, as they took in their surroundings.

“Wh-what happened?” Jack asked, rubbing his head. “Where are we?”

“You’ve been under Dracula’s enchantment,” said Biker Loki as he cautiously approached the werewolf. “You don’t remember?”

“Dracula’s spell? No, I don’t remember.” He growled. “Just wait until I get my hands on him.”

“That won’t be necessary. The fact you’re back to normal tells us Blade succeeded.”

“Blade!?” Jack’s eyes widened.

Everyone turned their eyes toward the mausoleum.

Back inside the mausoleum:

“Okay, ya stabbed him. But ain’t ya suppose ta cut off his head an’ stuff it wit’ garlic or somethin’ too?”

Blade stood over Dracula’s body. “I told you some things in the book are inaccurate.” He eyed the vampire grimly.

“But he’s dead, yah?”

Blade nodded. “I’m sure he’ll be back somehow, though. He has a way of doing that. This is a variant, after all.”

“Good. Den let’s get de heck outta here. It startin’ ta give me de frissons.”

“What are you talking about? This place is cool,” said Thori.

“Ah ain’t surprised.”

“Sounds good to me. My job here is done.” Blade turned and made his way toward the door.

“Blade.”

The vampire hunter looked at the mutant over his shoulder.

“Ya didn’ tell me ya could do dat.”

“Do what?”

“Change into a wolf.”

Blade looked annoyed. “It’s not something I care to do since it’s connected to…the undesirable half of me. I only do it when it’s necessary.”

Gambit nodded slowly. He took a step forward but stopped when his foot hit something and sent it sliding across the floor. He looked down. Leaning over, he picked up Dracula’s tempad and put it in his pocket. He eyed the pillars around the building…and smiled. One after the other, he touched and charged each pillar to a bright purple.

“What are you doing?” Blade asked from the front door.

“Gon’ make sure he stay dead.” He charged the last two near the door and joined Blade and Thori. “Okay. Let’s get outta here.”

Once outside, the three ran as far away from the mausoleum as they could get, and Gambit detonated his charges.

The mausoleum exploded in a flash of purple and fire and caved in on itself, burying Dracula’s remains and all the horror inside.

“Take that, vile vampire!” Thori screamed out.

“You did it!”

They turned to see the Lokis, Mini Gambit, Jeff, and Miss Minutes running toward them. Miss Minutes hugged Gambit’s face when she got to him. Behind them came the Commandos and a crowd of various other people who were still confused. Biker Loki had conjured a large ball of light to help them see where they were going.

“Dracula’s dead,” Blade announced.

A cheer erupted.

“I think it’s time we all found our way back to our homes.” He smiled when he saw Jack and the other Commandos.

Jack stretched out his hand and shook Blade’s. “Good to see you again, old friend.”

“Likewise. I mean, it’s good to see you when you’re not trying to kill me.” Blade chuckled. He turned his eyes to the crowd of variants. “We need to get these people back to where they live.” He nodded a greeting at Man-Thing, Frank, and N’Kantu, who had been released from his bottle.

“Agreed. We can do that with our truck,” said Jack. He turned to Frankenstein. “Frank, you want to load them on the truck? Quickly, because I’m sure this attracted Alioth’s attention. We need to get as far away from here as possible.”

Frank nodded and ushered the crowd toward the Monster Truck parked near the destroyed mausoleum.

“All of you look beat,” Jack said as he watched Child Loki yawn. “Why don’t we take you home, too? It’s the least we can do. Frank can load your motorcycles on the truck.”

“Sounds good, Jack,” said Blade. “Honestly, I’m not sure I’d be able to get home right now.”

“Ah ain’t sure any of us can get home.” Gambit rubbed his bottom. “Tired an’ sore. Ah’m not likin’ de t’ought of ridin’ several hours on a motorcycle righ’ now.”

“Somethin’ wrong, sweetheart?” Miss Minutes looked at him in concern.

“Ain’t nothin’.” He cleared his throat.

“Come on, you’re more than welcome to ride with us.”

Mini Gambit yawned and walked forward. “Will someone carry me? Ah ain’t got strength ta walk ‘nother step.”

“Mrrrrrrr…” Jeff collapsed beside him. He opened his mouth and pointed inside.

“Ah’m hungry too, yah.”

Thori walked up behind Mini Gambit and breathed fire on his backside.

“Ahhhhh! Wha’ de??” He grabbed his rear and sat down hard before he realized he wasn’t in any danger or pain. He felt his rear and looked at the pup. “Wha’??”

Thori licked his face. “You’re cute, baby Baby Cajun. Thori not hurt you. Just love warms.”

Gambit and Blade laughed.

President Loki eyed Thori uneasily and sidestepped away from the pup while keeping his hands protectively on his rear.

“Here, nugget, ah’ll carry ya.” Miss Minutes scooped up the little Cajun in her arms.

“T’anks, mademoiselle.”

Gambit leaned over, picked up Jeff, and held him under his arm. He smiled at Mini Gambit. “Ah t’ink it time for my bedtime, yah?”

With eyes almost closed, Mini Gambit nodded and yawned again. Jeff yawned too.

Biker Loki turned to President Loki. “So, what about you? If you want to come live with our clan, we’d be happy to have you.”

President Loki looked at the others around him as he clenched and unclenched his fists. “I’m…undecided.”

Biker Loki nodded.

Miss Minutes walked over and smiled at Gambit while she held Mini Gambit. She ran her hand over his hair.

“Ya still open ta givin’ me dat massage?” he whispered sleepily.

The clock laughed. “Ya need it?”

He shifted on his feet. “Dracula gave me a few whacks wit’ my staff.” His cheeks flushed.

“Awww.” She glanced down. “Are ya all right?”

“Sore.” He winced. “Possibly bruised.”

Miss Minutes kissed his cheek. “Ah’ll fix ya up when we get home.”

Chapter Text

After all the variants were safely returned to their living accommodations, the Monster Truck landed in the field next to the church. Home at last.

Biker Loki and Knucks Loki drove their motorcycles down the truck’s tongue ramp and parked them, the two extra ones following behind, enchanted by the Lokis’ magic.

Gambit trudged through the grass, making his way to the church. He had Jeff under one arm and Thori in the crook of his other while Miss Minutes followed along beside his shoulder, carrying Mini Gambit in her arms. Despite the energy that coursed through his body, Gambit felt like he could drop and sleep before he even got to the church entrance. He hid a yawn in his coat.

There was new hope surging through the air as everyone chatted excitedly about the evening’s events. There was a sense of peace in knowing the Commandos were back to normal and weren’t going to attack them anymore. There was a sense of peace in knowing that Dracula had been stopped and no longer posed a threat to their existence. Gambit knew that this new life in The Void would still come with challenges—maybe even future threats not unlike Dracula—but for now, he felt like all of them could rest.

“Hey.”

Gambit turned to see Blade walking up to him.

“What did you do to Thori back there?” the vampire hunter asked softly.

The Cajun was silent as he thought for a minute. Then he replied, “Ah dunno. Ah dunno if my energy brought him back ta life or he was jus’ unconscious.”

Blade looked at the sleeping pup in the Cajun’s arm. Miss Minutes regarded Gambit curiously.

Jack, Biker Loki, and Knucks Loki followed them to the church.

“Won’t you stay and have some food with us?” No Eyes Loki asked. “We have plenty.”

“No, thanks. We’ve got to get back to our own clan,” said Biker Loki.

“Before the others of us tear the place apart,” Knucks Loki added with a laugh.

“I’ll go with you.”

Everyone turned their eyes to President Loki.

He stepped forward. “I’ve made my decision. I’m going to pack my things and go with you.”

“Brother?” No Eyes Loki tilted his head.

“You’re not leaving us, are you?” Child Loki asked sadly.

“Yes, I am. I don’t belong with you lot, and you know it.”

“Don’t say that. We’re happy to have you.”

Blade turned a silent look to the blind Loki that said, “Speak for yourself.” Even though he knew the Loki couldn’t see it.

“Are you?” President Loki said coldly. “I feel like I haven’t fit in with you since I moved in. Even more so since the…”—he glanced at Gambit— “since the mutant arrived.”

“Because you made it that way,” said Blade. “We were more than willing to accept you, but you started acting like an arrogant pain in the neck from day one—acting like a high and mighty brat and bullying everyone.”

President Loki opened his mouth to say something, but instead, chose to look down at his feet.

“Sometimes it good ta do somethin’ different until ya find out where ya really belong,” Gambit cut in. “Ya can always move back in wit’ us if it don’ work out. Ya jus’ gotta discover wha’ makes ya happy.”

“Gambit’s right,” said No Eyes Loki with a smile. “You do what you feel is best for you, my friend. Just remember, there will always be a place open for you here in our family if you change your mind.”

President Loki snorted. “Don’t count on it.”

“There’s a shred of good in you, brother. I can tell.”

“Perhaps.” President Loki turned his eyes to Biker Loki again. “I’m going to pack my belongings, and then we can leave.”

Biker Loki nodded and watched him disappear inside the church. He then turned to No Eyes Loki and Child Loki. “You two are welcome to come live with us, too, if you wish.”

Child Loki looked around at Gambit, Blade, Jeff, Thori, and Mini Gambit. Finally, he answered, “No. I’m staying with the family I have now.” He smiled, walked over, and hugged Gambit. “This is where I belong.”

Gambit smiled.

Biker Loki turned his eyes to No Eyes Loki, awaiting his answer. “What about you?”

“I’ll stay with the child version of us and the rest of my family,” he said. “This is where I also belong.”

Biker Loki nodded. “If you ever change your mind, the invitation still stands.”

While the others talked, Gambit slipped away and went inside the church. He deposited Jeff and Thori on the couch and walked down the hallway to the bedrooms. President Loki was busy stuffing clothes and other items into cloth bags when he entered the trickster’s room. Stepping forward, he gently picked up the little stuffed dinosaur from the bed, which rattled softly. He gave it a shake, making it rattle louder. Smirking, he handed it to Loki.

“Ya gon’ take dis?”

President Loki snatched it from his hand and stuffed it in his bag. “Come to make fun of me?”

“Non. Ah ain’t gon’ make fun of ya.” He watched Loki take books off the shelves and pack them away in his magical pocket reality, something he didn’t fully understand. “Ya sure dis wha’ ya wanna do? It gon’ be lonely wit’out’cha.”

“I’m doubtful of that.”

“Ah know we got off on de wrong foot, but ya don’ hafta keep bein’ nasty for no reason.”

President Loki slowed up his packing and threw a glance at the Cajun.

“Besides de way ya treated me, ah actually enjoyed our time, ‘specially in de pyramid. Ah kinda hoped we migh’ be able to do dat again.”

President Loki shrugged. “We still can.”

“Ah t’ink ya like it here. Ya jus’ don’ wanna admit it, ‘cause ya got too much pride. It ain’t nuttin’ ta be ‘shamed of ta admit ya like someone’s company.”

“I just need a change,” President Loki said with a sigh. “I need to find out where I belong in this wasteland.”

“Can’t fault ya for dat. Sorta de same way ah felt when ah left N’awlins ta join de X-Men, when de TVA took me out.” He nodded. “Ya go find yer place, den. Ya free ta do dat here, unlike de timeline.” He pointed. “Don’ forget yer nightlight.”

With that, Gambit turned and left.

President Loki stopped packing and sighed. With tears in his eyes, he looked toward the doorway.

A few minutes after Gambit joined the others outside again, President Loki came out of the church with his bags. After nodding silent goodbyes to the others, he followed Biker Loki and Knucks Loki to the motorcycles, and all of them left through a portal.

Gambit admitted that he would miss the scamp. Even though he was a pain, something about their little family wouldn’t feel the same. Still, if President Loki felt he’d be happier with Biker Loki’s clan, he was free to do whatever he felt he needed to do. The Cajun understood, since he could relate to feeling out of place.

Jack and the Commandos kindly refused the invitation to stay for dinner and left to go back to their home to make sure everything was okay there, after being away for so long under Dracula’s hold.

After a quick meal, which everyone wanted but barely stayed awake through, No Eyes Loki put Child Loki, Mini Gambit, and Jeff to bed while Blade collapsed on the couch.

“For someone who jus’ defeated de Lord of Darkness, ya don’ seem very excited.” Gambit commented as he walked through the room.

“He’ll be back,” Blade said grimly. “Or some other variant of him will be. He’s immortal. He always finds some way of returning.”

“Maybe dis time it be different.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Not bothering to say anymore, Gambit left the vampire hunter to stew in his thoughts and walked to his bedroom. Whether Blade was right or not, he really didn’t care either way. He was too tired. Dracula was gone for the time being, and that was good enough for him. All he wanted was a bath and to roll into bed and sleep until he couldn’t sleep anymore.

As soon as he stepped through the door, Thori barked excitedly and bounded off the bed to dance around his legs.

“Exploding cheesies!”

“Wha’?” Gambit was confused.

“You said I could have bag of cheesies if I packed your pockets full of cards.”

“Ah dunno,” he mused. “Ya packed Pop-Tarts instead of cards. De deal’s off.”

Thori jumped up and nipped his backside.

“Yow!” Gambit swung his hand behind him and rubbed the nipped area. “Ah was teasin’! Geez!”

“Cheesies, Baby Cajun, or I burn your butt good.”

Gambit chuckled. “A’right. Ya win.” He grabbed a small bag of Cheetoes from his supplies, opened them, stuck his hand inside, and charged the chips. “Here ya go.”

“Yay! Exploding cheesies!” Thori snatched the bag from the Cajun’s hand and returned to the bed. He stuck his snout in the bag and scooped up a mouthful, enjoying the cheese curls snapping in his mouth.

Miss Minutes laughed.

Gambit shook his head. “De t’ings ah do for dat dog…”

“Are ya sure ya do them for Thori or ta save yer butt?”

“Both.”

“How are ya feelin’?” she asked.

“Tired ‘n’ sore.” He took off his coat and started undressing, no longer bothered by Miss Minutes or Thori seeing him in such a vulnerable state. He was too tired to care.

With a playful smile, Miss Minutes flew forward and patted Gambit’s underwear-clad bottom. “Lookin’ good, Remy,” she giggled.

Gambit stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, coming close to dropping the clothes he held in his hands. “Don’ ya get cheeky, yah.”

“Aw, c’mon, ya know ya love it.” She gave him a wink.

He smirked. “First time a clock ever flirt wit’ me.”

She giggled. “It ain’t flirtin’.”

“Den wha’ ya call it?”

“Teasin’.”

He smiled. “Ah’m teasin’ too.”

She flew at him again, this time yanking his boxers down in one swift stroke to his thighs. “Cute heinie, Cajun!” She giggled.

“HEY! Wha’ de??” Gambit cried out as he dropped his clothes and grabbed his underwear, quickly pulling them back up.

Thori howled with laughter.

“Dat did it! C’mere, you.” Gambit swung his hand to grab hold of the giggling clock, but she flew out of his reach.

“Or ah should say, cute heinie now that ah’m not spankin’ it.” Miss Minutes laughed.

Gambit grimaced. “Ya jus’ come down here for a second, yah.”

“Whut for?” She continued to hover in the corner over the bed, out of reach.

“Ah jus’ wanna talk.”

“Ya can talk ta me jus’ fine up here.”

Gambit kept his eyes on her for a few more minutes, and then he turned around to put his boots out of the way.

The clock flew at Gambit and, again, yanked his boxers down…only to get snatched by the Cajun’s hand.

“Ah-hah! Gotcha!” Smiling, he pulled the wiggling, giggling clock into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his face, nuzzling her. “T’ank ya, cher,” he whispered and kissed her.

“Fer whut?”

“Everythin’.”

She put her hand on his cheek. “Ah wish ya would change yer mind ‘bout joinin’ tha TVA.”

He kissed her again and let her go. “Now, if ya don’ mind, ah’d like ta bathe ‘fore ah call it a night.”

“Hey! Want to pull up your shorts? Thori eating back here.”

Gambit scowled and then smiled. “Wha’? Ya don’ like de view?”

Thori gagged. “It’s gross.”

“Says de mutt dat don’ wear britches.” Gambit pulled up his underwear. “Everyone forced ta look at yer ugly naked behind.”

“At least Thori’s isn’t bald.”

“Ah could say more ta dat, mais ah ain’t gon’ turn dis nasty.”

Laughing, Miss Minutes yanked down his boxers again before she joined Thori on the bed.

Gambit rolled his eyes and smirked. He looked over his shoulder. “Wha’? Ya wan’ me ta stand like dis all night so ya can enjoy de view?”

“What girl wouldn’t enjoy lookin’ at that?” Miss Minutes teased, still giggling.

“I’mma gon’ make ya boyfriend jealous.” He wiggled his butt playfully and struck a pose. “Ya know ah love showin’ off for de ladies.” He waggled his eyebrows and grinned.

Miss Minutes laughed.

Thori made a gagging sound.

“Okay. Enough of dis.” He pulled up his underwear. “It’s been fun, yah. I’mma gon’ take a bath. Ah’m beat.” With a pair of clean boxers in hand, he left for the bathroom. When he returned sometime later, Miss Minutes had his bed prepared and waiting for him with his pajamas laid out. He walked to the side of the bed while running a towel through his wet hair.

“Ya look tired, sweetheart.”

“Ah feel tired,” he said with a yawn. He threw the towel aside, picked up his pajamas, and turned around with his back facing the clock. He pulled off his boxers and pushed them aside.

Smiling, Miss Minutes patted his bare bottom playfully.

He grinned. “Don’ ya get cheeky back dere, cher.” He put one leg through the leg of his pajama bottoms.

For the first time, Miss Minutes noticed the fresh red marks across his rear. “Remy… Ya said somethin’ about Dracula whackin’ ya with yer stick…” She gently laid a hand on one of the marks.

Gambit pulled his pants up quickly. “Ya. He did.”

“Are ya sure yer’re okay?”

He nodded. “My healin’ factor already took care most of it. Ah still sore, tho.” He rubbed his backside. “Not ta mention, my ego bruised.”

The clock forced a smile. “Ah told ya ah’d give ya uh massage. Ya still want it?”

He turned around to face her, playing with the hem of his shirt. He shrugged, reached for his cowl, and put it on. Finally, he said, “Ah guess. If’n ya don’ mind.”

She smiled. “Ah don’t mind.”

He lifted an eyebrow and smirked. “Ah’m sure ya don’. Seein’ as how ya t’ink ma butt’s cute.” He pinched her cheek.

She giggled and batted his hand away. “Remy! It ain’t like that. Ya know ah’m jus’ playin’.”

“Surrrre.” He got in bed and lay on his stomach, fluffing the pillow up to bunch under his head.

Miss Minutes laughed. “So, whut happened?”

Gambit’s face flushed red. “Dracula took control of my bo staff while we fightin’ an’ used it ‘gainst me. It’s embarrassin’.” He jerked. “Ow! Careful, petite!”

Miss Minutes stopped rubbing his bottom. “Ah ain’t even rubbin’ that hard.”

Gambit hissed.

“Ah thought yer healin’ factor took care of most of it.”

“It did, but it still sore!”

Gently, Miss Minutes started massaging his rear again, rubbing circles into it as carefully as she knew how.

Eventually, Gambit relaxed. He lay there, staring with a thumb stuck tightly in his mouth. His eyes drooped, but he struggled to keep himself awake. A sad sigh escaped his lips.

Thori lay between his legs. The Hel-Hound was rolling around upside down, snorting, and kicking his back legs in the air while playing with his chew bone.

“What’s wrong, Remy?” Miss Minutes asked as she regarded the Cajun sadly.

“Ah dunno,” he said around his thumb. “Ah guess ah jus’ expected things ta get better after de fight, yah. Ya know. Some kinda happy endin’ where ah’m returned to de timeline.”

“Ah know, sugah. But…life doesn’t always work that way.” She patted his bottom gently and moved up to massage his back and shoulders.

“Guess dis place my home now.”

“At least you still have me!” said Thori. Part of the sheet was wrapped around his head.

“Lucky me…” Gambit rolled his eyes. “Ah still have de furry flamethrower.” He frowned. “Why ya even in my room, anyway? De President not even here now. Ah t’ink my bum is safe.”

“Thori stay to make sure Baby Cajun’s butt remain safe and to give love warms. Also, light a fire under your butt to get you out of bed in the morning.” Thori breathed a burst of warm flames on Gambit’s backside and made the Cajun jerk and squirm his legs.

“Careful back dere, now! Ah only wearin’ thin pajama bottoms.”

Thori grinned mischievously. “Thori good dog, remember? Won’t hurt you.” He went back to rolling around, rooting his nose in the covers.

“Somehow ah still don’ trust ya when ya say dat,” Gambit mumbled.

Miss Minutes ruffled his hair and skritched him between his shoulder blades. “Ah think yer’re in good hands.”

“Ya call dat good hands?”

She chuckled. “Ya gotta hot butt, anyway, that’s fo’ sure.”

He winced. “Ain’t de kinda hot butt ah had in mind…”

Thori leaned over and nipped Gambit’s rear.

He jerked forward. “Ow-hey! Wha’ dat for??”

“Nothing. Thori just felt like doing it.”

Silence filled the room for a few minutes while Miss Minutes continued massaging Gambit’s shoulders.

“Remy,” the clock said, breaking the silence.

“Mmm?”

“Whut happened back there at tha mausoleum?”

“Wha’ ya mean? We defeated Dracula.”

“No, ah mean…with Thori.”

The pup lifted his head and snorted.

Gambit opened his eyes and took his thumb out of his mouth. “Ah…dunno. Ah t’ink he died. But my energy brought him back ta life.”

The clock blinked as she rubbed slow circles into his back.

“Dracula, he turned into a wolf. An’ he grabbed Thori an’ bit him an’ slung him. He was lifeless when ah caught him. Ain’t no life in him t’all. Ah…ah touched him wit’ my energy, an’ he came back.”

Thori rooted under the covers, twisting up in them.

“Ah dunno if dat’s wha’ happened or if he was jus’ unconscious.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Ya did good, Remy.”

Gambit snuggled into his pillow and reinserted his thumb.

Miss Minutes flew over, turned out the light, and returned to the bed. She draped a blanket over the Cajun and slid down into the crook of his arm.

“Are ya gonna stay wit’ me, petite?”

“Ah’ll stay fer as long as ya need me, but ah need ta get back to tha TVA sometime.”

Gambit smiled around his thumb and closed his eyes.

“Wake up, Baby Cajun!” Thori shouted when morning arrived. He breathed flames over Gambit’s backside.

“Ahh!” Gambit jolted awake and scrambled to get up. Miss Minutes flew into the air, startled. “Ah’m up! Ah’m up!” He rolled out of bed, his right leg tangled in the sheet. Thori ran over and blasted his rear with fire again. The Cajun clambered and stood up, rubbing his bottom. “Ah said AH’M UP!”

Thori chuckled.

Sighing, Gambit picked up his clothes. “Can’ ah even sleep in? It ain’t like we got nuttin’ ta do dat’s important.”

Thori walked closer to the edge of the bed, his tail wagging, and eyed Gambit. His mouth flames flared.

“Don’ ya dare do dat again.” Gambit lifted a finger.

“Pull his undies down, clock,” said Thori.

Gambit’s eyes widened as he looked from Thori to Miss Minutes and back again. “N-n-non! Don’ ya dare!”

Miss Minutes laughed. “Thori, calm down. Ah ain’t gunna do that.”

Gambit visibly relaxed. “Wha’ got ya so worked up dis mornin’?”

“We’ve got company.”

Gambit and Miss Minutes exchanged glances.

Thori jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.

Gambit reached for his clothes and pulled on his pants, wondering who Thori could be talking about. Did President Loki come back?

“Miss Minutes,” he said as he put on his boots.

“Yeah, hun?”

“Ah been t’inkin’. Wha’s gonna happen ta Mobius?”

Miss Minutes looked at him sadly. “He’s already had his memories wiped, Remy.” She forced a smile. “Ah…ah ordered it ta be done before we left tha TVA. He remembers you, but doesn’t remember seein’ ya come back. It’s just like he was after ya pruned yerself.”

Gambit nodded sadly.

“We can’t do that again.”

“Which means ah can never go back.”

Miss Minutes looked down. “Not unless ya plan ta join tha TVA.”

Gambit shook his head.

“Remy… While we’re talkin’ ‘bout it. If you’re not gunna return to tha TVA, ah’m gunna need yer tempad.”

“Ah can’ keep it?”

“No, hun, ya can’t.”

Gambit side-eyed Miss Minutes, and then he slowly reached into his coat and pulled out the device. He ran his fingers over it and handed it up to her. “Ya gon’ come see me, right? After ya leave, ah mean.”

Miss Minutes took the tempad and smiled sweetly. “Of course I will. Ah’ll check in on ya as often as ah can.”

He grinned and winked. “After all. Ya gotta come back occasionally an’ pull my britches down.”

“Oh, Remy!” Miss Minutes giggled and ruffled his hair. “As long as ah don’t hafta pull ‘em down ta spank ya.”

“Nah, ya can take dat brush wit’ ya an’ leave it at de TVA.”

Miss Minutes put her hands on her hips and gave him a look, shaking her head.

Gambit’s grin faded, and he heaved a sigh and stared at the floor.

“Somethin’ wrong?”

Gambit shook his head. “Non.”

A few minutes later, Gambit walked into the living room with Miss Minutes on his shoulder. Thori scampered over to him and licked his boot before running back to Child Loki.

Jack Russell stood near the door and looked at him when he entered.

Gambit lowered his gaze and stuck his hands into his pockets. Lifting his eyebrows, he pulled out Thori’s happy face ball. He tossed it. The ball bounced several times before the Hel-Hound caught it midair.

“Um…” Gambit cleared his throat. “Ah dunno wha’s goin’ on, but while everyone’s here, ah got somethin’ ta say.”

Blade crossed his arms over his chest. “Will I need my belt?”

Gambit’s eyes widened. “Non! It ain’t nuttin’ like dat.”

Jack looked between Gambit and Blade, confused.

Gambit cleared his throat. “Ah been t’inkin’ hard ‘bout dis since de ride home last night an’ de President leavin’ an’ all.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Ah dunno if ah should stay here.”

“What do you mean?” Blade asked.

“You’re not leaving us, too, are you?” Child Loki said sadly. He walked over to stand in front of the mutant. “You can’t! We’re brothers.” He wrapped his arms around Gambit’s legs.

Thori uttered a whine, his ball slipping out of his mouth to roll under the coffee table.

Gambit forced a smile and ran his hand over the little Loki’s head. “Ah caused ‘nough trouble for y’all.”

“Friend, you haven’t caused us any trouble,” said No Eyes Loki, stepping forward.

“He’s right,” said Blade, nodding. “If anyone caused us trouble, it was the President, and he’s no longer our problem.”

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like,” No Eyes Loki assured him.

“Where did you plan to go?” Blade asked, his brow furrowing.

“Ah dunno. Ah find my own place, ah reckon.”

“And live alone?” Blade shook his head. “This isn’t Earth, where you move away from home and live wherever you please. You live wherever you can find a place to live. You’re not guaranteed to find another place out there.”

“But, ya have de Commandos now, so it gon’ be crowded.”

“We’re not staying here,” said Jack. “Our place is still standing, so we moved back in. In time, we plan to move somewhere else—a place that makes it easier to keep an eye out for other Dracula variants. Besides, our truck is a risk to the rest of you. You’ve got a home here, and we don’t want to bring Alioth down on top of you.”

“Wha’ ‘bout Blade? Ain’t he gonna join y’all?”

“Blade’s gonna stay right here for the time being,” Blade answered. “I’m old, and I’m tired.”

“Stay here with us. We’re a family.” Child Loki said. He hugged Gambit’s legs tighter.

“The President is gone, so life should be less dramatic,” said Blade.

Gambit forced a laugh. “Yah. As much as ah hate ta admit it, ah’m actually gon’ miss him.” He looked around at everyone and smiled. “Okay. Ah stay here.”

“Hooray!” Child Loki shouted.

Thori barked and wagged his tail.

“Glad ta hear dat,” said Mini Gambit. “Dat way ah’m not de only Cajun.”

“We’re de same person.”

“Ah know, but we still Cajuns.”

“What about you making us some of your pancakes to celebrate with?” said No Eyes Loki.

“Dat sounds good.” Gambit nodded. He looked to Jack. “Care ta join us?”

“If you want to have us.”

“Sure, bring everyone over,” said Blade.

Child Loki took Gambit by the hand and led him to the door. He pointed in the direction where they found the Roxxcart. “I saw some new stores drop early this morning! Want to go check them out after breakfast?”

Gambit, Miss Minutes still on his shoulder, stood and stared out across the fields. Thori walked up and stood between his feet.

This was his new home, such as it was, and his new family. It wasn’t the X-Men, but it was his family just the same. He’d learned that life doesn’t always work the way you want it to. Sometimes it deals a hard hand, but it doesn’t mean you give up. You just have to roll with it and make the best of it, no matter how hard it might be. The Void was a tough place that much was certain, but Gambit knew he was tougher.

“Checkin’ out dem stores sounds like a great plan for today.”

“Just think. New adventures!” Child Loki said excitedly.

Gambit nodded and smiled widely. “New adventures ahead, yah.”

-The End