The Cold Hearted Truth
Chapter Eleven
Kaleidopy 

THE ROOF

" Remy, I will keep you up here until you answer me."

Gambit only shuffles the deck of cards that Storm gave him only minutes earlier.

" You are so stubborn," Storm angrily stares at her friend. " You know I speak the truth and yet you pretend to ignore me."

" Mebbe Gambit t'ink y' talk t' much, Chere." Remy stares off into space.

" THAT IS IT!!" Thunder clashes across the skies. Storm floats off the top of the roof and glares at Gambit. " If I can not bring you to your senses, then this will." Before Gambit could even respond, he is yanked off the roof.

" Stormy, " He yells trying to wrestle himself free from her grasp. " put me down."

" As you wish, " Was the only words Storm spoke before she did as he asked.

SPLASH

Storm floats over the swimming pool and waits until Remy surfaces to the top. When he does, she laughs. " Have you calmed down now, or must I dunk you again?" She lands on her feet at the edge of the pool and offers her hand to him. " Come, I will command the winds to dry you off."

Gambit swims over to Storm and ignores her hand, glancing up at Storm's face, he knew she would follow through with her threat of keeping him in the water, sighing he slowly raises his hand for her to take. " 'kay, y' win," As soon as he grabs Storm's hand, he yanks her into the water. Laughing at her as she surfaces, " Now y' de one who all wet, non."

Storm shakes her head before laughing. " It is so good to see you laughing again, Remy." She takes his hand in hers before kissing his hand. " Do you still hate us?"

" Non, never hate y' Stormy," Gambit confesses. " But de ot'ers, mebbe Gambit let Sinister deal wit' dem."

" REMY!!!" Storm chastises him. " Don't even joke about turning the X-men over to Sinister."

" Who jokin'?" Remy asks her. He notices that Storm was eyeing him strangely. " Stormy, Y' don' know Essex like Gambit does."

" No Remy," Storm says. " Sinister knows your one true weakness, and he has always exploited it."

" 'xcuse me Stormy. Y' don' know what y' talkin' 'bout." Remy swims over to the edge of the pool. " Y t' much brain washed by Xavier. He, Gambit knows ain't what he claims t' be."

" Remember one thing, my brother." She gets out of the pool and pulls him out with her. " No one is perfect, we all have our faults, including Charles." She uses the winds to dry them both. " If anyone calms to be perfect, they are a fool." She turns him around to face her. "The X-men are not perfect, and I do include you in this group. Remy, we need you, the X-men need you."

" Mebbe de X-men need Gambit, but Gambit don' need de X-men."

" Remy," Storm sighs deeply. " You are making this difficult for me." She strokes her fingers through his hair. " If I can not convince you that you belong here then I must take matters into my own hands."

" Do what y' gotta do, Stormy." Gambit turns away from her.

" Did ya miss me?"

Gambit and Storm look up to see Roadblock, Harpoon, Sabertooth, and Arclight with their weapons pointing at them. Arclight strolls over to the two. " Wonder what the Boss is going to do when he learns his favorite has been talking with the enemy." She playfully pats Remy across the back. " Care to tell us what you and the weather witch were talking about, LeBeau? I am sure Mr. Sinister would love to know all the details."

" 'bout time de old man shows up," Remy notices the angry look he was getting from Creed. Needling Sabertooth, was like a second hobby to him. He just couldn't help himself. " Mebbe Father will neuter y', Creed. Essex always like t' tamper wit' de brainless henchmen he hires."

" Yer pushing yer luck, Cajun."

"I see that you are still meddling in Marauder affairs, Ororo?" Arclight looks Storm up and down. " Wonder if all those underground mutant mistakes still think you are so high and mighty?" She laughs. " Goddess! Don't make me laugh."

" If you think you can insult me, Arclight, you are mistaken." Storm eyes her back then crosses her arms.

" Whooo touchy," Roadblock glances over at Arclight. " You going to let her get away with that?"

" Shut up, Baer!" The female Marauder glares over at her team mate before suddenly hitting Storm with a cheap shot to the stomach with her boot.

Remy moves towards Arclight, but is grabbed from behind by Sabertooth. " Keep yer nose outta it, boy. I want to see some blood." He watches as Arclight seems to be getting the best of Ororo. " That the best you can do, X-woman? Xavier didn't train you too well did he?"

Storm recovers quickly and attacks Arclight, both women square off, Ororo's full attention is on the female marauder that she doesn't notice Harpoon coming up behind her or Gambit's scream of ' behind you', until a collar is snapped around her neck, powerless, her arms are yanked around her back and handcuffed.

" Let her go," Remy glares at the Marauders, while struggling to get out of Creed's grasp." Essex don' need Storm t' get revenge on Xavier."

Arclight suddenly turns around and glares back at Gambit, but remains silent. Her anger was slowly mounting to a boil. Knowing death awaits anyone who puts their hands on LeBeau, she backs away a few steps before speaking. " Scalp isn't going to like what I plan on telling him," She angrily continues. " Keep this up, and I will allow him to do what ever he wants to you."

" You better get your prerogatives straight, boy," Harpoon points an accusing finger at Gambit. " Because if you are even thinking about turning on us again, I'll make sure not even Mr. Sinister can recognize your body when I get finished with you."

" Don' let dat stop y'," Gambit glares at the Marauder. He tries to escape from Sabertooth, but to no avail. He slams his boot down on Creed's bare foot, who releases him while screaming a howl. Remy suddenly free, gets into Harpoon's face. " Let's y' an' me go at it now."

" Just so Sinister doesn't blame this one on me, I am going to give you first shot, and you better make it count because I do not miss." Harpoon laughs like a madman while moving around, almost dancing.. " Show me what you got, LeBeau. Let's see what Sinister sees in you that the Marauders don't."

Remy smiles slightly before he knocked Harpoon down with an unseen object.

Storm manages a quick smile, while Arclight fumes. It was taking all her patience and training to remain calm.

" You little punk, you cheated." Roadblock yells out. Gambit turns to him and almost dares him to be next.

" The Cajun's mine." Creed grits his teeth in anger. He continues to rub his injured foot.

" Allow me." Roadblock steps forward.

Remy smiles slightly as his eyes suddenly glows. He watches as Roadblock approaches him. Laughing, Gambit pulls out a card, charges it and tosses it at the feet of Baer. Roadblock tries to move out of the way, but the card explodes, knocking the huge Marauder backwards and barely conscious. " T'ink y' would have learned from y' mistake with T'or, Baer, he already killed y' once, mebbe Gambit do de same, eh?"

.Before Gambit could pull out another card, Sabertooth pounces on him, taking him down on the ground, pinning both of his wrists so he could not get an object to charge. Creed inches his face closer to Gambit's. " Oh the things I could do to ya right now." He yanks Remy's arms together over his head, and holds both together in one of his massive hands. Using his free hand, he takes his claws and softly caresses the side of Remy's face. " Think I'll make myself a Cajun shish-ke-bab."

" Y ain' got de guts t' defy Sinister," Gambit glares up at him. Twisting his body, he tries to get out from under Creed's bulk, Sabertooth simply sits down on the Cajun's legs, stopping Gambit from struggling. Creed suddenly growls before he jams his claws into the ground, making sure that they miss Gambit's throat by inches. Remy didn't give him the satisfaction of being scared. He chuckles. " Y' don' scare me none, Creed. Y' must be slippin' in your old age, eh?"

" I wanna hear you scream, you little punk." Sabertooth grins widely showing his fangs. " And I am gonna enjoy myself while you do it. Gonna carve you up real good." Creed laughs maniacal as he raises his hand in the air. " Can't wait to see the look on Essex's face when I toss your body down at his feet."

Before Creed could lower his arm, he is hit in the back with an object, standing up, he pulls the pointed object out of his back. " Good thing I got a healing factor, or I would think you were trying to kill me."

" Harpoon is following my orders, Creed." Arclight glares back at him. She was more than ready to attack Sabertooth on her own. To her, he was a waste of air. " I have no intentions of being on Sinister's hit list for something you do. Harming LeBeau means death to the rest of us." Philippa then aims her weapon. " Now get away from him or give me the pleasure of mixing your blood with the rest of the dirt on the ground."

Creed glares at her for a second. " There will be another time, Arclight."

" Just name the place, Creed." Arclight grins slightly.