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don't all belong to me. One can dream, can't they? The more noticeable ones
are Marvels, the others are mine. I have no money, don't plan on having any
for awhile, so suing me is a useless, pointless gesture on your part.
Just so you know I have no knowledge what so ever of genetics or anything of the
sort. I didn't even do well in Biology in high school. So if you don't like or agree
with what I have to say, just remember this: IT IS ONLY A STORY IT IS NOT
REAL. And you should be OK. I am also taking the liberty of guessing how old
Gambit is.
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Ties That Bind Chapter 4
By Admiral Draala
"Your sister!" Was the resounding cry from all those gathered on the lawn
at the Xavier Institute. Rogue slowly moved away from Bishop to stand behind
all those that were gathered.
"Now, that I was not expecting. Old girlfriend may be, but sister never
in a million years. Gambit do you have any other family members that will be
dropping by?" Bobby asked.
"Bobby now is nether the time nor the place," Psylocke told him.
"I don't trust her. She appears out of no where and claims to be Gambit's
sister, not to mention that she runs around with a known mutant terrorist
group. I say we make her talk." Bishop raised his gun one more time and
pointed it at Celeste.
Gambit stepped in front of his sister and in front of Bishop's gun.
Pulling a card from his coat in the process and charging it. "Den you have
to go through Gambit, neh?"
It was a stand off between both men nether one willing to back down.
"This is getting us no where. Bishop put the gun down." Scott ordered him.
When Bishop did not comply, Scott stepped in and took hold of the gun.
Storm also came forward to stand by Gambit. "Gambit please. This is
unproductive."
"Remy listen to your friends. I have much to tell you and little time to
do it in," Celeste said as stood in front of her brother. The card lost its charge and
returned to Gambit's coat.
"How do we know that they are bother and sister they could be pulling a
fast one on us," Warren pointed out.
"Look at them. Their eyes are a dead giveaway. Her eyes are red like
Gambit's, except that there is no black." Sam said.
"You can't determine family relations by their eyes," Warren countered.
"Beast you can perform the necessary tests to prove they are indeed
brother and sister." Storm commented as she placed a hand on Gambit's
shoulder.
"With that settled, lets move inside and listen to what she has to say,"
Scott said with a firm hold still on Bishop's gun.
Everyone started to move towards the mansion with the exception of Gambit.
When Celeste started to move with the rest, Gambit placed his hand on her arm
indicating that he wanted her to remain behind. Storm noticed that Gambit was not
with them and turned back to look at him. "I be dere in a minute Stormy." As soon
as the word escaped his lips he saw the protest on her face, but she said nothing.
Once Gambit was sure Storm was out of ear shot he turned to his sister.
"Celeste, is dat really you?" He asked still not believing what had transpired this day.
"As sure as I am standing here. Remy do you know how long I have waited
and hoped that I would see you again?" Celeste threw her arms around Remy
and hugged him again. "I was told that you wouldn't remember us. Me and
maman, I mean."
"Dat is de problem. I don' remember you." Celeste pulled back and looked at him
puzzled. "Father...oncle Jean-Luc, told me when I ask."
"I see." She backed away from Gambit. "We should be heading inside. There is no
telling when they will find me, and I have lots to tell your friends." Celeste turned
and started walking towards the mansion leaving Gambit to kick himself for what he
said to her. He saw the look of disappointment on her face when he told her that he
did not remember her. The truth was, on the way back on the Blackbird images
started to return to him. Images of happier times, with his family, a mother, a father
and a sister.
Celeste waited for Remy to catch up to her just outside the mansion's doors.
Together they walked in and found Storm waiting for them just inside the
doors to take them to the lower levels of the mansion. "Beast is waiting for you in the
infirmary, the others are in the War room. Cyclops felt that is was best for the
Professor and Forge to hear what Celeste has to say." Storm said as they stepped into
the elevator.
They emerged in the bowels of the mansion. Storm led the way to the infirmary,
where Beast was setting up the equipment needed to conduct the DNA testing. They
were greeted by Beast holding a needle in his hand. At the site of the needle Celeste
noticeably tensed up and backed away a little.
"I can assure you my dear Ms. LeBeau that I will not harm you. I will only take a
small sample, from you and your brother and then you may join the others." Beast
said as he placed the needle on a table.
"You can trust Henri, Celeste." Gambit told her, but she kept her eyes on the
needle. "I won' let anyt'ing happen...Celery."
Celeste looked up at him surprise that he remembered his nickname for her.
"Remy, you remembered!" Celeste exclaimed.
"Oui. Now Celeste we gonna do dis?" Celeste nodded and her and Gambit walked
over to Beast and let him take the necessary samples.
*****
Brian Duchette entered the computer room like a man on a mission. "What the hell
went on here while I was gone?"
"Ricochet escaped sir," someone from the back of the room answered.
"I knew that much you fool. I want to know details!" He yelled pounding his fist
on a near by table.
"Mystic and Ricochet were being escorted across the compound to attend their
next treatment by the doctor. Ricochet managed to escape and we perused her across
the compound to the tree line. It was then that Mystic activated one of her portals and
Ricochet vanished," Denson said as he entered the room. "The man in charge has
already been taken care of, before you even ask."
"Do you have any idea where Mystic sent her?"
"Not at this time sir. Mystic has not said a word and I don't think she will be able
to, Dr. Whitman has her. She has been in with him since the incident."
"I want the tracking device activated immediately. I want her found!" Duchette
ordered.
"Already done. I ordered it an hour ago. We are unable to track her down."
Denson said walking over to the tracking computer.
"This device is suppose to be infallible. Why is it not working?" He asked the chief
officer.
"The device is working fine, we just can't get a lock on where she is. Where ever
she is they must have some pretty sophisticated equipment to block the transmission.
The minute that we pick up the signal we will activate the team and extract her from
where ever she is."
*****
Once Beast was finished with them they proceeded to the War room so Celeste
could tell the X-Men her story. They entered the room and found all the X-Men
seated around the table in the centre of the room. Storm followed Gambit and Celeste
in. Cyclops indicated a spot for Celeste to sit at the table. Gambit took up a spot
against the wall across from his sister. Rogue watched Gambit from the moment he
walked into the War room until he took his spot by the wall. Gambit was well aware
that not only Rogue but everyone was eyeing him as he entered.
"Henry will be following us momentarily," Storm said as she took a seat beside
Celeste.
Beast walked in at that moment, "Sorry about that. It took me longer to calibrate
the computer than I thought."
"Now that every one is present and accounted for, we can begin. Can you hear us
all right?" Cyclops asked turning to face the computer screen that was on the far wall.
"Coming in loud and clear Cyclops," Forge answered.
"As you are here Scott," the Professor added.
Everyone's attention was drawn to Celeste. She took a deep breath and looked at
Gambit for his support. He smiled and urged her to start. Looking at Cyclops she
began her tale. "Perhaps it is best that I start at the beginning. My mother...I mean
our mother," she nodded in Gambit's direction. "She met and married a man by the
name of André Duchette. Her family did not approve of the marriage and she was
told to leave. She moved to Quebec and lived happily there. Remy was the first born,
he is three years older than me. The trouble first started after I was born.
"Brian, father's brother was working with some scientist. Some how he managed
to get medical reports on both Remy and I. I know now that he has and had a lot of
pull with certain people. Anyway he discovered the mutant gene in our blood. He
was always keeping tabs on us, watching to see how we were developing. Our
parents didn't know what was going on. Father was a well known business man in
Quebec and he stumbled across what Brian was planing. He didn't know exactly
what his plans were, until he called in some favours, Brian was planing on using
Remy and I in some sort of experiment." Everyone sat in silence, not wanting to
interrupt the story.
"Father told maman and she made arrangements to get us out of Canada. She
asked her brother Jean-Luc for help and he made arrangements for us to travel to
New Orleans. Father stayed behind to give us time to get away. Maman never found
out what happened to him. When we arrived in New Orleans, Jean-Luc said that he
was only able to take in Remy as he was the one in the most danger. Remy was to
have his memories erased so he would not remember us and maman felt that he
would be safer that way." Remy for his credit stood there poker face in tact, to cover
up the inner turmoil that was brewing inside, at what his sister said.
"Maman changed our name to LeBeau. We move around a lot, never staying in
one place for too long. Maman was afraid that he would find us. He did find us. He
grabbed me on my way home from work when I was 19, that was two years ago."
She took another deep breath before she continued knowing that the rest would be
hard to retell. She looked over a Gambit wondering what his reaction would be to all
this. "He took me to some place in Canada, I don't know where exactly. That is
when the tests started."
"What sort of tests? If I may ask?" Beast asked.
"Brian was working with a doctor by the name of Whitman. He wanted to see if he
could create a mutant by duplicating the mutant gene in humans." Celeste answered.
Wolverine let out a low growl at the mention of Whitman's name. "By your
reaction I hazard to guess that you know of this supposed doctor, Wolverine." Beast
asked pushing his glasses up.
"Not personally no, by reputation. Heard his name mentioned a few times in
Department H, back in Canada. A real crack pot if ya ask me. Man loves mutants,"
Wolverine answered.
"Dr. Whitman wanted mutants with multiple powers saying they were the easiest
ones to work with. Remy and I were chosen as children because mutants with
multiple powers were not really heard of. He found a way to isolate the gene that
causes mutantancy and determine that we would have multiple powers."
"In order to determine such a thing would require years of research. I am not even
sure that is possible," the Professor said.
"If what we have seen in recent days is true Professor, then we have plenty to
worry about," Jean said.
"You do. He was successful in recreating the gene in five people. The catch is the
gene can only be used once. The treatment that the donor and the recipient go
through is vigorous and can be lethal. He has already killed all the donors except for
me and Mystic. During the gene therapy the recipients are implanted with control
devices that allows Duchette to control them. We on the other hand undergo a type
of shock therapy, and gene therapy that prevents us from using all of our powers. It is
easier to control us. That is only the tip of the iceberg."
"That explains the zombie like state that they were in when you battled X-Factor.
Tell me though, how does he control you?" Forge asked.
"Some type of signal device, I believe," Celeste answered.
"That would explain the signals that I was picking up. Can I assume that one of
you is a teleporter?"
"Mystic is a teleporter. I think that they use her, to send the signals. We also have
tracking devices implanted in us somewhere. It is only a matter of time before they
find me and take me back. Duchette doesn't want to lose me."
"I can assure you that they will have difficulty in picking you up. The defenses of
the mansion will make sure of that." Cyclops told her, even though it did little to
alleviate her fear. Celeste looked over at Gambit, he showed no sign of anything. She
couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. Gambit had almost shut his mind
down so he wouldn't have to listen to what his sister said.
"I may be able to pick up on that signal and back track it to the source. Now that I
know what to look for." Forge told the group. "The catch is they have to appear some where
for me to pick up the signal."
"Just look for it Forge. May be if we are lucky we can get to them before they act,"
Cyclops said. "Because I have the feeling that they might soon to draw us out."
"How do you know that Cyke?" Bobby asked.
"Just call it a feeling, and that their movements indicate that they are."
"I'll see what I can do Cyclops," Forge told him as he cut the transmission.
"Until Forge comes up with some thing, we wait. I don't want to run head long
into some thing that knows more on us than we do," Cyclops told the group. "I don't
want to take any chances."
"Celeste perhaps now would be a good time for you and Gambit to talk," Storm
said placing her hand on Celeste's arm. She looked over at Gambit and he nodded,
understanding that they wanted to talk with out Celeste in the room. He walked over
to the door and waited for Celeste to join him. She rose from her seat and looked
every one over before joining Gambit at the door. She knew exactly what was going
to happen the minute she left.
Storm saw the look in her eye and the understanding behind them. She wondered
how two siblings that were separated for almost twenty years could be so much a
like. It was written in the way they looked at their surroundings, how they analyzed
everything just by looking at it. They were both victims of circumstance and chance.
One was forced to remember while the other to forget, only to be reunited under
these circumstances. Storm felt sympathy for these two.
"I still don't trust her," Bishop said breaking Storm from her reverie.
"Be that as it may Bishop, she has provided us with information," Professor Xavier
answered.
"Yes she did, but look at what. How could she possibly know what she does?"
Warren added. "She might be settling us up. This could all be a trick. How do we
know that she was not sent here to bait us?"
"That's the thing Warren. We don't know. All we can do right now is trust the
information she gave us." Scott answered as a small beep went off from one of the
computers.
Beast rose from his seat and crossed the room to the computer. "It seems that we
have a winner."
"Are those the lab results?" Jean asked.
"They are indeed. We now have proof positive that Mr. LeBeau and Ms. LeBeau
are indeed brother and sister." Beast said removing his glasses.
*****
"We have her!" Was yelled across a small compound.
"Where?" Duchette questioned.
"In upstate New York. We just picked up the signal."
"Scramble the team. Inform the doctor that I want Mystic ready in two minutes. I
want this done by the books. Consider it a hot evac. Move!"
*****
"I guess it is safe to assume that your friends are talking about me?" Celeste asked
her brother. They were seated on the back steps of the mansion over looking the
estate.
"You guess right. Dey not sure what to t'ink of you."
"I don't feel so bad now. I don't know what to think of them. The big one gives
me the creeps. Is he always like that?"
"Bishop is harmless enough. Don' get on his bad side."
"I'll remember that."
"What about the other one Storm? I like her."
"Stormy. She de first one I meet here, and brought me to de X-Men. I guess you
could say my best friend."
"I'm glad. She seems really nice."
Silence fell over them that was quickly shattered by the arrival of some unwanted
guests. Celeste and Gambit quickly rose to their feet and rushed to the bottom of the
stairs. Moving over to the lawn they found themselves looking at the three mutants
gathered before them. At that moment the intruder alarm went off in the mansion.
"You know dese jokers Celeste?" Gambit asked pulling cards from his coat and
charging them.
"Yes I do, unfortunately." She answered taking a fighter's stance.
"Ricochet we are here to bring you back with us. If you do not come willingly we
will use force." A big one said as he stepped up from the group gathered on the lawn.
"I am not going back Titan!" Celeste yelled back.
Before Gambit even had the chance to throw the cards that were in his hand, he
was attacked psychically. The cards fell haplessly to the ground as he tried to move
towards the one that he though was attacking him. Celeste let lose with an energy
beam that hit Titan square on causing him to stumble backwards. She went to turn
her attention to Dream Weaver, who was causing her brother to experience his worst
night mares over again. But she was caught by Shadow, who came up behind her.
"Remy! Remy! You have to help me! RRREEEMMMYYY....." Celeste yelled as
she disappeared in a flash of light.
"CELESTE!"
The X-Men came out of the mansion in time to see Celeste disappear. They found
Gambit on his hands and knees yelling for his sister. Rogue was the first arrive at
Gambit's side and helpped him up. "Remy are ya hurt?" Rogue asked.
"I see you let them take her. Couldn't even save your sister, huh?" Bobby
remarked sarcastically.
Gambit started to charge at him but was held back by Rogue. "Shut your mouth
Drake!" Gambit yelled swinging a fist in his direction.
"Bobby!" Scott yelled turning to face him. He never said another word just shot
him a look, that said volumes.
"I'm gonna get her back." Gambit said breaking out of Rogue's hold.
"You don't know where she is Gambit. Let us help you. Forge will find where they
are and the X-Men will help you," Jean told him. "There is no need for you to do this
on your own Gambit."
"Fine. But de man who did dis is gonna pay. He gonna pay for what he done to
Celeste and my family."
To be continued....
Next chapter
The conclusion, the X-Men take the fight to Brian Duchette.
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