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Rogue journeyed to Professor X’s office. Along the way, she was thinking about her X-men comrades who were currently split up into three groups, and on missions of their own, while she and Kitty stayed behind at the school to hold down the fort. Once she reached the professor, who was staring out the window as usual, she closed his office door and said:
“Ya wanted t’ see me, professor?”
Prof. X turned around and greeted his former student with a soft smile, “Good afternoon, Rogue. Yes, I have a mission for you if you are inclined to accept. It’s important, and unfortunately sudden.”
Rogue raised a brow. A solo mission? “What kinda mission, professor?”
Prof. X said, “I need you to go to New York University’s research lab and retrieve an artifact that was stolen from the Museum of Natural History. Sources say that it’s there. Normally, I would send you with a partner, but I think it would go along much smoother if it’s treated as a solo mission.”
“Ya want me to steal?”
“...It isn’t stealing if it’s already stolen.”
Rogue asked, “Do ah havta be sneaky about it?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Can’t ah jus’ waltz inta the university and pry it outta their hands?”
Prof. X recommended, “I’d rather this be as subtle as possible. This is a solo mission. If we had the numbers, then I would recommend a more direct approach. Regardless, I don’t think this task would require a full team anyway.”
Rogue nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it. Tell ya the truth, it’s been a while since ah did a solo. Ah can do this. Ah’m pretty good at evading security.”
Prof. X acknowledged, “Good.”
Rogue then took a seat on the other side of the professor’s desk. She stretched. “What is this artifact anywho?”
Prof. X slid a picture of the item across his desk. Rogue took it and looked at it thoroughly. It was a large, bright blue vase; it was oval shaped and had a lid on it; and the outside of the vase had several pink swirls on it. “A vase thingy? To be honest professor, it looks like an urn? Why’s this lil’ thing so important, huh? Is there a dead guy in here? Does it explode or somethin’?”
Prof. X answered, “We aren’t quite sure, but Dr. McCoy suggests that it has some sort of black hole inside.”
Rogue couldn’t believe her ears. “Ah’m sorry, a …black hole?”
Prof. X replied, “We aren't certain unless we open it, but if the doctor and I are correct in our hypothesis, this artifact has the ability to suck people or objects inside and take them to another dimension. Or it could crush them. Luckily, the artifact has a spell on it. The museum stated that it is tempered glass, and the spell makes it very hard to break. So if you trip and drop the artifact, hell won’t break loose.”
Rogue questioned, “That’s weird. If it has the ability to suck and destroy, then why is it in a museum? Did they think it was some kinda family heirloom?”
Prof. X sighed, “That’s another question Dr. McCoy and I are unsure of. We tried asking, but the director kept his lips sealed. So we aren’t sure how or why it got into the museum’s hands, but what we do know is that someone from the NYU lab stole it, and a fellow mutant at the museum stressed its importance and wants us to get it back. I think by using your powers, you could retrieve the layout of the lab in no time and reclaim the artifact before dawn.”
“Okay, what should ah do with it once ah get it?”
“Bring it back here. Before giving it back to the museum, Hank and I will examine it and find out why it was stolen and for what purpose. The artifact may have to be destroyed, or sealed away if it poses a danger to everyone and everything. So, I’ll ask again, are you willing to accept this mission?”
Rogue saluted, “Yes, sir.”
1:00 am…
Rogue stood in front of the research lab (which was its own building), examining it from head to toe. She had changed into a jet-black latex, one-piece uniform that did not bear an X-men insignia as she wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible. She knew she could slip past security cameras without destroying them, but she’d rather not do it in bright colors.
Behind the corner of another building, Rogue noticed a security worker standing in front of the main doors. With utmost confidence, Rogue flew towards the burly man when his guard was down, and placed a bare hand on his exposed wrist before he had a chance to see who was in front of him and reach for his taser. Immediately, his energy and memories were sucked out of his body and mind and absorbed into Rogue’s. Once he passed out, she unhanded him, and gently placed him on the ground.
Afterwards, Rogue closed her eyes, and skimmed through the guard’s memories to discover that he bore a keycard that could open several doors within the lab. Rogue fished through his pants pockets, and found the card. Unfortunately, he didn’t obtain any physical keys that could open the front doors of the building. She’d have to find another way inside without punching walls.
Rogue sauntered around the building, and eventually came across stairs that led up to a balcony on the second floor. There was a door there too. Rogue flew upwards and onto the balcony. When her feet touched the ground, she immediately noticed a security camera just above the door, but it had already been broken. Upon closer inspection she noticed that the lens was giving off white smoke. That’s weird. Ignoring what she just saw, she pulled the door handle, fully expecting the entrance to be locked, but it opened without fault. Rogue considered herself lucky at this point.
The lights in the building were dim, but luckily, Rogue could still see where she was going, so she didn’t have to resort to silly night vision goggles. Then, she closed her eyes again, and tried to observe the layout of the building through the security guard’s eyes, but she could only see the rooms occupying the first floor. Those rooms consisted of the bathroom, break room, and kitchen.
“Great,” Rogue said, “Ah’m gonna have ta search this entire buildin’ door to door unless ah can find another guard.”
Rogue went to the third floor; which were mostly offices that were locked via keypad. You could either punch in a code, or swipe a card. The woman decided to try out the nearest door with the keycard she snatched and it worked; it seemed like she could open almost every door in this building, though the more confidential doors were going to be harder to enter. Before proceeding, Rogue scanned her surroundings and saw security cameras that were working. Doing something about it, Rogue reached for a small laser pointer hidden in a pocket near her breast. Quickly, she aimed the pointer at each of the cameras, pressed a button, and a thin laser shot out of the device, harshly cracking the camera lenses. Rogue gawked at the deadly laser pointer in awe. She’d never used that weapon before. To be honest, using it was kind of fun.
Then, she started opening doors and searching rooms. She knew that this strategy was going to take forever, but the artifact could be anywhere in this building. Common sense would state that the culprits would put it somewhere more confidential and complex, but if it were her, she would want to put it in a place that was more obvious, so she could trick the tricksters.
After clearing the third floor, she went up to the fourth, and knocked out more cameras. She almost got caught by one, but managed to break it in time. Eventually, she entered a concourse area that housed a cafeteria with several tables and benches. Some of the benches were tipped over and the cameras here were broken, but not by her own doing. It was just like the camera outside. Rogue then had an awful feeling in her gut; it felt as if she wasn’t alone in her shenanigans. She would have to be more careful.
Slowly, she tiptoed through the concourse, peering around corners. The uneasy feeling of something inside the building with her did not subside; in fact, it got worse. Eventually, she came across a hole in the wall that someone could crawl through, and it looked fresh. Rogue decided not to go that way, and proceeded to go the opposite, when something grabbed her shoulder.
Swiftly, Rogue threw a hard punch, but missed her target. She then felt a piece of metal hit her wrist and she yelped in pain. Then, she reached for the silhouette now beside her and managed to grab onto its clothing. Using her super strength, she turned and threw the individual across the room. She could hear a voice go, “oof, ow.” It sounded like a man. Still seeing unclearly due to the dim lighting, Rogue locked eyes with the mystery person and squared up to it. It then ran towards her with a large bo staff at the ready, but Rogue managed to evade the attack and land an uppercut to the chin. Unexpectedly, the silhouette backflipped after the hit, landed its feet onto the ceiling and pushed its way back towards Rogue, managing to hit her chest with the staff and send her into the ground. Winded, Rogue tried to get up but a metal boot stomped her chest and forced her back onto her back. Before she knew it, the end of the bo staff was against her throat and soon coated in purple light. He was a mutant.
“I surrender,” Rogue said as she took a moment to examine the person hovering above her. It was a very tall male, dressed in fuchsia and navy blue with a large belt strapped across his chest. He was donning blue pants, metal boots that reached his knees, and a large brown armored trench coat. He also accessorized his look with fingerless gloves, and a navy-blue headpiece that covered his neck and sides of his head. The bangs of his brown hair hung over his forehead, practically reaching his eyes, with the remainder of his look poking just over his headpiece. His black eyes with red irises bore into her soul, and the frown on his face gave her the impression that she wasn’t supposed to be here. As intimidating as he looked, he was a little flattering to look at. “Who are ya?”
The man above her replied, “I could say the same, chère. What’sya name?”
Rogue answered, “That’s none of ya bees wax.”
The man chuckled deep within his throat. “I beg t’ diffa. It is meh business.”
Rogue struggled again, but the staff and his heavy foot continued to keep her pinned to the floor. All she needed was to grab his shirt or pants to fling him off of her, but no matter what she did, he continued to keep her out of reach. The man asked more forcefully, “Why are y’ here?”
Rogue replied, “I’m here to claim a prize.”
The man raised a brow. “Your prize?”
“Mah prize.”
The corner of the man’s mouth moved upwards. “Tell me, it don’ look like a pretty blue urn wid pink flow’r patterns on it? Does it?”
Rogue couldn’t believe that she was in this situation. There was someone who was here before her, and it seemed like he was here for the same god damn reason. Did the professor go behind her back, and send this random guy on a mission too, or was he sent by someone else? Rogue answered, “Yes, it is.”
The man replied, “Den you an’ I are after deh same thing, huh chère?”
Rogue finally slapped the bo staff away from her face. “Ah’m not ya chère.”
“You a wild one, aren’t ya?
Rogue then asked, “What the artifact to you? Did the museum ask ya to get it back?”
The man smirked again; she was starting to hate that expression. “I’m neva allowed to reveal a client, but I’ll say dat it wasn’t deh museum dat hir’d me. I reckon that my client believes dat deh artifact belonged to dem, and dat it’s of great value. I can’t prove dat, and I don’ care. I jus’ do what I’m hir’d to do.”
Again, Rogue tried to get up, but he wouldn’t allow her. His bo staff went back to her face, and glowed purple again. She could feel the roaring energy near her neck. While talking to him, she tried to figure out what his mutant powers were. “So, are ya gonna kill me?”
The man responded, “Non, killin’ a woman ain’t really ma style.” He then removed the bo staff, folded it up and put it away in the inside pocket of his trench coat. “I jus’ kindly ask ya t’ leave, and we can pretend dis neva happen’d.” He removed his boot from her chest.
Rogue tried to sweet talk the man as she touched her neck and sat up. “No sugah, ah ain’t gonna leave.”
The man squinted. “Well, maybe I betta kill yeh den. Sorry, chère.”
Before the man could reach for his weapon again, Rogue tried to negotiate, “Or, we could work togetha at gettin’ this artifact.” She then started taking the glove off her right hand.
The man shook his head. “Non, I don’ work wit anybody. I’m fine jus’ on ma own.”
Just then, Rogue hopped off the ground, and reached for the man. She managed to latch onto his fingers; one of the only things not covered. Immediately, the man lost his breath and stiffened as his life energy was sucked out of his body. Rogue grunted. She could feel the evil doings of this individual enter every part of her body and mind, but she did not panic, she needed to hold on and get as much out of him as she could. After a few seconds, Rogue let go, and her head flooded with all the terrible things this man did in his lifetime. According to his memories, he did mercenary work, and would do anything if he was given enough incentive. He was on no one's side except his own. Not too long ago, he was hired to steal a collar, fought Wolverine and double crossed him several times. He also took advantage of Polaris later, and crippled Genosha’s resources. And all for money. Then, she closed her eyes and fished through his most recent memories, and saw that he’d been hired by a person dressed entirely in black with a creepy mask on their face. The man was going to be given a large amount of cash for his misdoings, and was promised more if he succeeded.
Rogue opened her eyes. She then looked up, and saw the man staring blankly at a wall with eyes as wide as saucers. He tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth. Gradually, he fell backwards like a falling tree, and hit the ground with a violent thud. Rogue huffed. “What a scumbag. Serves him right.”
Rogue felt her head as she rose to her feet. She’d been knocked around by this guy, and she knew she’d be feeling it for at least a week. Then, she looked for support, and touched a lone picture frame on the nearest wall. Quickly, the frame turned purple and exploded in her face. She coughed and waved the smoke away. Judging by what she had just absorbed, she figured that his powers made everything he touched explode. Like every mutant, his powers were probably more complicated, but she didn’t have time to think and analyze. After, she turned to the unconscious man who was still staring at the ceiling like he’d seen a ghost. She could lightly hear through his lips. “M…mutant.”
Rogue said, “M’sorry sugah, but if ya don’t wanna work togetha, then ah’ll have ta work alone.”
2:00 am…
Rogue no longer wanted to be here. Not only was searching for this artifact taking so long, but everything she touched kept exploding. Sooner or later, she was going to get caught by security, and they would probably send something that she wasn’t equipped to fight. Once again, Rogue closed her eyes to access the thief’s memories. Since he was also stealing what she was tasked to retrieve, she wondered if he scoured any new places that she could check off her list. According to what she saw in his mind, the man only went to places that were bigger and more confidential, rather than measly little offices. If this guy was a professional, he would know more than her; she could trust that information. Rogue decided to follow the path he had taken before discovering her, and eventually came to a door that she used the keycard for.
When she entered the new vicinity, she saw that she was inside a giant lab. There were no other people inside and there was little to no light either. She gathered that this was a more secured room and there could be booby traps if she weren’t careful. Of course, after the first step she took, the floor fell from underneath her. She used her flying powers to hover in the air, and looked down to find a barrage of spikes. She chuckled, “Well, it’s a good thing I can fly.”
Still in the air, Rogue searched the area while trying to avoid security cameras and anything else that could potentially get her in trouble; however, there was no artifact in sight. This was awful. She was a terrible thief. Giving up, Rogue flew to the middle of the room, leaned back and sighed. She said, “Ah am so lost.”
The familiar voice sneered, “That y’are, chère. That y’are.”
Rogue quickly looked behind her, and noticed the man by the door with his staff in hand. His hair was disheveled, he was sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and he looked exhausted. Obviously, he was still getting over the effects of her absorption power. “I’m surprised you’ve woken up this fast. Normally mah power can knock someone out for a week.”
The man ignored her words, “You are lost, and sooner or lateh, y’are gonna get both of us in trouble. Luckily, y’haven’t set off any alarms. Who knows what dis place has that ain’t human nor mutant." With his free hand, he pulled out six playing cards from his coat pocket. First, he forced kinetic energy into the number cards and threw them around the room, knocking out every single security camera in sight. Then, he grabbed a few more cards and threw them at Rogue in retaliation for what she had done to him earlier. They exploded at her feet, but the woman managed to hop backwards and get out of the way.
When the smoke cleared, Rogue shouted, “Hey, if you think yeh so smart, then why aren’t you goin’ aftah the artifact yourself? Why follow meh?”
The man threw six more cards in succession, but Rogue continued to evade them. Eventually, the man stopped. He winced, closed his eyes shut, and fell onto one knee. He was still hurting and woozy from Rogue’s earlier touch. When he finally gathered himself, he rose back to his feet, put the bo staff away, and said, “I’m here t’stop ya from doin’ somethin’ stupid, so my job isn’t at risk. I’ve been followin’ yeh an’ watchin’ yeh struggle. It’s pathetic. I can’t have yeh settin’ off alarms and cameras. Cause of y’negligence and me being weakened, I think that workin’ together will benefit us both. What d’ya say, chère?”
Rogue was genuinely confused. This man just sought vengeance, and now he’s suggesting that they find and steal the artifact together? Rogue tried to play along. “What would be the incentive? We can’t leave both our clients empty handed.”
The man said, “Tell y’what. How much is your clien’ paying yeh to do dis?”
Rogue lied. She tried being realistic with her number, “$100,000.”
The man was taken aback by that answer. “Mon dieu, that’s more than I’m gettin’ and I got deh highest bidder. I say, fuck my clien’ and let’s both go 50/50 in wit your clien’? $50,000 each for a stupid vase is a nice chunka change for each of us. Den, we’ll go our separate ways. But I have one condition.”
Rogue grumbled, “What?”
“Don’ use y’powers on me again.” He winced again, and for a moment, Rogue thought he was going to fall over. “I figured out what’ya powers are, and I won’ let it happen again. If you do, I’ll kill yeh.”
“Ah wouldn’t wanta, anyway. Ah’ve seen enough of the shady stuff ya done.” Rogue crossed her arms. “Okay, then promise me ya won’t throw explosives at meh anymore. Or hit me with that staff either!”
The man said, “I promise, chère.”
Then, the man pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment from underneath his coat. How much stuff did he have in there? He opened it, and soaked in its information. Rogue asked:
“What is that?”
“Blueprints of this building, chère. You don’ have one? Well, no wonda yeh strugglin.”
“How did ya find me anyway?”
“You absorbed mah powers, and yeh don’ know how t’control em. Y’left quite a trail of explosion remnants.”
Rogue knew what he meant. After absorbing the man’s essence, all of the little things she touched exploded along the way. She was leaving bread crumbs for whoever wanted to follow her. She really was bad at this heist stuff.
The man continued, “Alright, I agree dat dere is a truce between us? Let’s find dis artifact, an’ get ah money. Wit Gambit’s help, we’ll find this artifact in no time. Ten minutes give or take.”
Rogue blinked. “Is that what you call y’self? Gambit?”
The man shrugged. “Depends on our relationship. What’s y’name, chère?”
Rogue spat, “I am NOT your chère.”
“Whatever yeh say, chère.”
Rogue growled, “Ugh, my name is Rogue.”
The man called Gambit grimaced. “Rogue, huh? Sounds mysterious.” He then pointed to the doorway. “Now, dis way.”
Rogue and Gambit continued the heist as a team; a pretty dysfunctional team. Both persons weren’t too keen on having another person involved as there was a higher risk of being caught, but after observing and experiencing each other’s powers first hand, having one other would be an asset. With the professional thief’s help, they would find the artifact in no time, but the question was what was going to happen after they found it?
Ten minutes later, they were on the seventh floor. It was more confidential, therefore, Rogue’s keycard did not work. Since that was the case, they figured that the artifact could potentially be in this room. Rogue was going to open the door with her super strength, but Gambit stopped her and placed his finger on the keypad instead. Using his powers, he managed to open it discretely. She was going to ask him on earth he managed to do that, but she held her tongue; she couldn’t waste any more time. Once they got inside, they took a good look around before proceeding. The area was a giant lab with machinery and sciency stuff inside. After taking out the security cameras and searching, Rogue managed to find the blue and pink artifact. It was safe and on a pedestal. “Gambit,” she exclaimed, “it’s here!”
After blowing out the last camera, he went to Rogue’s side and compared his photo of the artifact to the real thing. “Dat’s deh prize. Good findin’, chère. Now let’s get outta here.”
Without thinking, Rogue reached for the artifact; however, Gambit stopped her by snatching her covered wrist. “Ah, ah, ah…” Taking a small bottle that he also stored in his coat, he sprayed the artifact. Slowly, it was revealed that several lasers were surrounding the item. “Touchin’ those lasers will trigger de alarm, and dis place will go pew-pew-pew.”
Rogue questioned, “Then how do we get the artifact out of there?”
Gambit thought for a second. “We can disarm it. I don’ think da controls are in here though.” Gambit then looked back at the blue prints, and discovered that the control room was on the floor above them. He figured he would go alone. “The control room isn’t dat far. I’ll disarm everythin’. Y’stay here while I go. Once those lasers are gone, remove the artifact and meet meh jus’ outside.”
Rogue raised a brow. She wasn’t sure if she should trust him. She saw his memories, and how many times he double crossed Wolverine, Polaris, and Genosha; no doubt he would shamelessly do the same to her.
Gambit could read her like a book. He assured, “I’m not gonna leave yeh to deh dogs, okay? 50/50, remember?”
Rogue waited impatiently in the lab. Gambit had been gone for at least ten minutes, and she wondered if the man was going to set an alarm off on purpose, abandon her so she could be caught and arrested, and come back another day to seize the prize. Obviously, she didn’t trust him, and why would she? He was a horrible person and she’d only known him for a couple of hours. She continued to contemplate her situation, but snapped out of it once she saw and heard the lasers disappear from around the artifact.
Wasting no time, Rogue grabbed the artifact, and fled the room. She thought that maybe she could play his game and double cross him by flying to the nearest door leading to the outside before he came back looking for her. It was tempting, and sweet vengeance for his terrible misdoings.
Hell, she decided to do it. In a flash, she flew down the hallway, and tried to locate the nearest exit. She didn’t get far though as, as she turned the corner, she slammed into Gambit’s body, and the artifact popped out of her arms as they both landed on the ground. Luckily the artifact had tempered glass and a spell on it for good measure, so there was no fear in breaking it and having a disaster on their hands. After seeing stars, Rogue noticed Gambit eyeing the artifact on the ground. Without hesitation, they both jumped on the artifact. After a brief wrestling match, despite Rogue obtaining super strength, Gambit had put up one hell of a fight, and now possessed the prize. “Non, non, chère. Gambit will take care of this jus’ fine.”
Rogue sneered. “No way ya scum suckin’ rodent! We’re goin’ 50/50. It’s mah client, so therefore ah should be holdin’ that thing.” She then took off her glove and tried reaching for his face, but he stepped to the side and pulled out a charged playing card.
“Come closer, an’ I throw dis.”
“Give it ta meh!”
Gambit chuckled. “Yehhh, no.”
“Huh?”
“I lied. My clien’ is payin’ double of what you’re gettin’, and I really don’ like sharin’.”
Rogue exclaimed, “Ya, idiot!”
Gambit retorted with a sleek smile, “Shouldn’ be callin’ meh dat, chère. As far as I recall, yeh was headin’ for the door. You’re not innocent in dis either.”
Rogue jumped at Gambit again whilst reaching for his face, but he was not going to fall for her tricks. She ordered, “Hold still!”
With the artifact safely tucked in one side of his arm, Gambit pulled out his bo staff, and knocked Rogue to the side. She hit the nearest wall. “NGN!”
Gambit chuckled at his temporary victory, but didn’t celebrate for long when Rogue suddenly appeared in front of him and threw a fist in his face. Due to her super strength, Gambit flew to the other side of the room and hit the wall. The impact created an abnormally large hole. He managed to sit up with his back against the wall, and said, “Ow, mon chère.”
With fire in her eyes and fist still in its fixed position, Rogue said, “And that’s not even my full power.” She then went to the artifact that had once again found a home on the carpet, and picked it up carefully.
Gambit struggled to get up. “Ugh, I haven’ been hit like dat in a long time. Shall we call a truce again?”
Before Rogue could say no, alarms blared and the scene surrounding them turned blood red.
“Uh-oh.”
“Oups, I think we made too much noise.”
It didn’t take long for security to arrive. Some high powered robots made by the humans had entered the vicinity and started shooting at the imposters, whether they were mutants or not. There had to have been ten of them, and the firepower they obtained was no joke.
Currently, Rogue and Gambit were behind separate pillars, allowing green and red lasers to fly past their faces. Sooner or later, they would have to disperse, for their enemy was closing in, and the lasers would eventually go through the concrete and severely injure them. “We gotta go,” Gambit said.
As much as Rogue hated it, she ran to Gambit, somehow avoiding the dozens of shots. Without thinking, she then grabbed onto the man’s wrist and they fled into the nearest stairwell. Rogue added, “Ah agree. Who knows what else is crawlin’ round here.”
They were not safe in the stairwells. They only made it to the seventh floor before more shots rang past them. Gambit asked, “Why are we goin’ up?”
Rogue answered, “So ah can fly us both outta here. There could be more of those things outside.”
As stated, Rogue’s plan was to get to the highest point of the building, so they could jump off of it and fly to safety. Maybe she could also take a trip to the local jail and toss him in there for good measure. As they continued to climb, Gambit lit up a few cards and tossed them down the stairwell, creating a giant explosion that would hopefully stall security. It must’ve worked, because the shooting stopped.
They eventually reached the door that led to the roof, but it was locked from the inside and there was no keypad. Rogue thought about punching it open, but Gambit quickly pushed her aside and drew a large oval on the door with his finger. The hole then turned purple, sizzled, and fell forwards, so that they had access to the roof. Doing this was quieter, so maybe the robots would try searching for them on a different floor rather than heading straight for their current position.
“Ladies first.”
Rogue scowled as she proceeded to the outside; it was rather windy up there. Gambit followed, but looked at her suspiciously. He knew she could fly, but he doubted she would take him with her. They’ve already double crossed each other at least twice, and she’s seen through his memories what he’s capable of doing. Who would want to save him? The man looked around and noticed a higher point that he could climb. Maybe up there, he could get a better look, and start hopping from building to building until he was safely on the ground. He went to that area and climbed it via ladder. Seeing him, Rogue asked, “What the hell are ya doin’? Ah was gonna get us outta here.”
Gambit didn’t answer her. He didn’t want to spit what he was feeling and end up getting another fistful of rage to the face. Which reminded him that he was going to be needing an ice pack soon. When he reached the highest point, he looked down over the ledge and saw dozens of more robots approaching the research building. He had to get out of here now, or he’d be swiss cheese.
While grumbling from the professional thief’s stupidity, Rogue soared towards Gambit with the artifact still tucked in her arm like a loaf of bread. It was odd. If she were in her right mind, she would be flying away at this exact moment, but for some reason she wanted to be near the man even though they had double crossed each other. It was probably because they were both mutants running from a common enemy, and it felt right for mutants to stick together.
But before Rogue could reach him, several green lasers flew towards her, and hit her left leg. The shots immediately seared tissue and muscle. She screamed. In seconds, she lost flight and hit the lower portion of the rooftop; however, the artifact remained in her hands. She tried to get back on her feet and fly away, but as she attempted to stand, a terrible pain shot up her leg, and she fell onto her knees. Shit, she was in trouble now. She should have just abandoned Gambit, and fed him to the alligators.
A high pitched squeal was then heard, followed by a large explosion. Gambit must’ve thrown a lot of cards or something larger. Thankfully, the shots stopped, but there was no doubt that more robots would come and start shooting at them again. Then, a hand appeared in front of Rogue’s face. Gambit had jumped down from the higher rooftop, and back onto her level. He said, “Quickly, give meh da artifact. I’ll toss it up there, and den I can get us outta here.”
Rogue held the artifact even closer to her chest. “No way, ya swamp rat!”
Gambit retorted, “I’m not gonna fight wit ya. Yeh can’t fly right now wit dat leg of yours injured like dat. Give me deh artifact, I’ll toss it up there, and den help yeh.”
Rogue reluctantly handed Gambit the artifact, and surprisingly, he did as he said. When the prize was safely on the higher rooftop, Gambit turned his back to Rogue and squatted in front of her face. He then reached his hands behind his back as an offer for her to climb onto him. As quickly as she could, Rogue climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around the thief’s neck. When she was secured, Gambit proceeded to climb the ladder on the wall while a new wave of green and red lasers chased them.
When they reached the very top, Gambit leaned over and grabbed the artifact with one hand while using the other to keep Rogue in place. Luckily, the artifact was small enough to fit in the biggest pocket of his trenchcoat. After, they went to the end of the roof and looked downwards to see if there was another way of descending without having to hop buildings. Rogue said, concerned for their well-being, “You’re not thinkin’ of jumpin’ fifty feet, are ya?”
Gambit answered, “I could, but Gambit would break a few things in da process.”
Gambit then looked to his right and saw the closest building to them on campus, it was jumpable, but it would take great precision. Gambit then reached for the ground and drew a circle around them. He stood in the middle of the shape, and before long, it glowed purple. Gambit said, “Ready for liftoff?”
Realizing what he was doing, Rogue exclaimed, “The fuck are ya doin’? If ya make that go BOOM, you’re gonna kill us. Ya crazy!!”
Gambit readied himself. “I’m batshit crazy, chère.”
BOOOM!
After exploding the concrete slab beneath their feet, the result of the explosion tossed them forwards in the air, and sent them to the neighboring building. As they soared, Gambit could see a fire escape staircase, which was their ticket out of this mess. After barely landing on their feet, Gambit and Rogue found the entrance to the fire escape, and descended into the shadows.
In the heart of Manhattan, Rogue and Gambit found themselves in a bathroom meant for a single individual. There was only one toilet and sink, but enough room for two people to do things in. Currently, Rogue was sitting on the sink’s countertop while Gambit was cleansing her leg wounds with soap, water and paper towels. Rogue refused to take off her latex suit, so this was the best Gambit could do.
After cleaning what he could, Gambit grasped some thick, white tape from another one of his coat pockets and started wrapping her leg to stop the bleeding. He said, “It’ll be best to get stitches, but, if yer a crook like me, you’re always gonna avoid hospitals. Bet it hurts like a bitch. Damn.”
“Have ya gotten shot before?”
Gambit nodded. “Many times, chère. There’s been a lota evenin’s where I had ta wrap meh legs and arms like dis. Why do y’think my coat and legs are armored? How bout you?”
Rogue answered, “First time.”
“Yeh must be new to the business, or yeh really good at bein’ a thief.” Then, Gambit went quiet. He looked like he was in deep contemplation.
“Gambit?”
Gambit reached into his coat and pulled out the artifact, he placed it into Rogue’s hands and pressed down to assure her that it was now hers. “It's yours. I’m sorry y’got hurt. Yeh shoulda just flew away.”
Rogue said, “Ah should have, but ah felt like us mutants needed to stick together. We both made some bad decisions.”
After a brief pause, Gambit said, “I lied.”
“Huh?”
“My clien’ isn’t payin’ meh double. I’m good wit your client at 50/50. That’s if our truce remains.”
Rogue shook her head. “Ah am so confused, Gambit. Ya hafta make up yeh mind. You’re either on my side or not.”
Gambit laughed. “I know, but thievin’ is more fun if there’s some drama. Sides, my clien’ was only goin’ t’pay meh $10,000, and surprisingly, he was the highest bidder. $100,000 for dat lil’ thing is crazy, chère. What makes that urn so special?”
Rogue lied too, “Ah dunno. Like you, Ah only does what Ah’m paid to do. What they want with this thing is none of mah business.”
Gambit gave the woman an encouraging smile. “Mademoiselle, if I didn’ know any better, I’d say dat you came straight from da thieves guild.”
Rogue didn’t know what the thieves guild was, but she assumed it was just a gaggle of dirtbags like him. “I’m not.”
When Gambit was done wrapping Rogue’s leg, he stood up straight and said, “Y’know, I think we’d be good partners in crime. Although y’need to work on your thievin’ skills, you are agile, smart, pretty, and useful. I mean, who needs blueprints when y’have someone who can absorb powers and memories.”
Rogue avoided eye contact with Gambit. She replied, “Ah think I’m a lot like you, Gambit. Ah’m a lone wolf in this world. Besides, after all the double crossin’ we’ve done to each other tonight, are you sure you’d want meh as a partner?”
Gambit sighed, then answered, “Yeh, it would take some trustn’ but we could manage, chère.”
Rogue wanted to scream at the man that she could never trust him after all the crimes she had seen him commit through his memories. Rogue decided to let him down easy instead, “Ah’m sorry, Gambit. Ah work alone, but it was a pleasure meeting another thief.”
Gambit then frowned. “Can y’walk?”
Rogue slinked off the countertop, but her leg gave out. There was no way she could get off the ground and fly right now. “Shit.”
Gambit commented, “Y’look pathetic. Here.” Once again, Gambit prompted the woman to hop onto his back, and she did as she was told. “I’ll take yeh to your clien’, chère. And den I’ll take yeh home.”
Rogue huffed, “Fine.”
“Great, jus’ tell me where to go.”
Rogue and Gambit were on his motorcycle, proceeding to Westchester County (unbeknownst to Gambit). Rogue’s leg was killing her, and she pleaded for the thief to drive faster. Gambit gawked at his speedometer; He was already speeding. If they went any faster, they would have a higher probability of crashing and bursting into a ball of flames if something unexpected happened on the road. “Sorry chère, I’m already goin’ too fast as it is.”
As they got closer to their destination, Gambit was becoming more suspicious. It was almost as if he’d travelled on these roads before. Then, it clicked. He’d gone this way before to steal a collar. He knew where they were going and he didn’t like it one bit. About a half a mile away from where they were headed, Gambit pulled over and got off his motorcycle. Rogue looked at him with confusion. “What’s wrong, Gambit?”
“Get out.”
“What?”
“I said get out!”
“What the hell, Gambit!”
Gambit aimed a finger at the woman. “You swine! You deceiver!”
Rogue scoffed, “HA! Ya shouldn’ be talkin’. You’re a no good swine yourself.”
“There is no money! There is no clien’! Am I right?”
Rogue tried to keep her false identity, but it was quickly crumbling. Gambit had figured out who she was and where they were heading. “What are ya talkin’ bout?”
“Don’t lie, you are an X-man! I should have known! I’ve come e're before. I’ve stolen from dat mansion. I know exactly where you’re takin’ me and I want no part of it.”
This time, Rogue answered truthfully and with sincerity, “Yes, Ah’m an X-man, and ah was on a mission to retrieve that artifact from that lab, so that we could research it before givin’ it back to the museum. The museum hired meh. And you were a great help.”
Gambit’s expression then slowly turned into the most unsettling and cynical smile she had ever seen on a person. “Ya, played Gambit like a fiddle, chère. You’re a true con artist.”
Rogue asked, “So, are ya gonna leave me here, or take meh home?”
“Wanting meh to meet the parents already?”
“Not exactly.”
Gambit’s face relaxed. “Non, I think I’m gonna let you crawl the rest of the way. Listen, I want nothin’ to do wit the X-men. Yeh have t’understand that I’m on no one’s side in anythin’. An i have meh reasons. Sides, dey wouldn’ wanna take m’in anyway. I’ve done a lotta bad things, and I know yeh saw it all. There’s no doubt yeh boss has seen the same, and dat Wolverine guy would most definitely turn me into sushi.” He then grasped Rogue’s gloved hand and kissed the back of it.
Rogue snarled, “You’re a shithead.”
Gambit was pleased with that statement, “I know, but at least I make things interestin’.”
Rogue shook her head. What more did she expect? He was evil, annoying, and obviously there was no saving him…yet. Prof. X always saw the good in people, so maybe it wasn’t too late for the Cajun. It would just be more work. Without a second thought, Gambit hopped back onto his mode of transportation and drove off into the night.
Rogue turned around and noticed the tip of the mansion in the distance. She had no choice. She had to hobble home. Then, she felt something in her hand. She looked at the item, and noticed that it was a playing card. It was the Queen of Hearts. She smiled at the queen before turning the card over and seeing black writing written in marker. The card said:
Remy LaBeau
That was his real name.
And underneath his name was his phone number.
THE END