Afterwards, Gambit and Fontanelle compared notes on New Son, trying to figure him out. Though they were able to figure some things out, in the end they were facing more questions than answers. The New Son’s original plan had been to create a new Earth – a paradise - and move everybody there as this world would soon be uninhabitable. The terraforming equipment, the blueprints for a Celestial ship, Moira’s files on mutants who’d put up a fight and the Crew A.S.K.E.W. to control humans all were part of this plan. But when Remy brought him Quiet Bill, who could see in another realities, the plan fell apart. The place in orbit where New Son’s new Earth was to go was now occupied by the Counter Earth created Franklin Richards to save the heroes from Onslaught. So, the New Son had been using Quite Bill to find a vacancy in another reality. That, however, provided no answer as to why he would want him dead. Also, Fontanelle helped Gambit understand that his father might have left him in charge of the Guild, hoping that he and Bella Donna would manage the Guild reunion, an event that was foretold as the resurrection of the Old Kingdom. His enhanced power apparently were another factor leading towards this. [Gambit (3rd series) #20]

In the meantime, the X-Men had been restructured and Gambit became unofficial field leader of one loose group in addition to his other duties. Gambit called his group to Venice, needing their help. However, they had barely arrived when they were attacked by a group of the mysterious Neo. Afterwards, Gambit explained he had asked them there for a rescue mission for a friend. Colonel Vazhin, formerly of the KGB, had once done the Thief Guild a favor and now needed help saving one of his agents from another group of Neo, which the X-Men eventually managed with the help of a thief friend of Storm’s [Uncanny X-Men #381-383]

In the process, they captured an intergalactic slaver named Tullamore Voge and several X-Men found themselves imprisoned by Voge’s compatriots, the Crimson Pirates – a group of slavers. The other team of X-Men followed them, trying to save them and the people already captured while Gambit’s group seemingly struck a deal with the Pirates, helping them capture people.

The other team, led by Rogue, caught up, leading to a big fight. When Rogue confronted Gambit, she found that she trusted him, despite his seemingly having switched sides. The whole thing turned out to be a big scam, enabling both teams to beat the Pirates and Rogue to kill their leader, Goth, with the power she absorbed from Gambit. As a result, their relationship was back and running. [Uncanny X-Men #384, X-Men (2nd series) #104, Uncanny X-Men #385]

In between his missions with the X-Men, Gambit tried to find out more about his own past, to learn what New Son was after but found that the records of his birth had been erased. In addition, the Casket of All Tomorrows’ contents, needed to initiate the resurrection of the Old Kingdom - to create Heaven on Earth - had been destroyed. Gambit figured out correctly that Guild members, Gris-Gris and Theoden, were the culprits on both accounts, but was surprised to learn that his absent father had bid them do it. [Gambit (3rd series) #21]

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