Long Way Down 8
Title : Long Way Down : Chapter 8 : Reunion
After what seemed like hours in the cold New England autumn, the last light in the manor went out. Gambit imagined the Professor wheeling out of his study and to his room, accounting time for him to prepare for bed and finally doze off. When he felt certain there would be no one to sense him enter the mansion, he left the cover of the evergreen and jogged gingerly to the side of the building.
The leap over the wall had done nothing for his injuries, and he didn’t fancy another acrobatic feat to reach Wolverine’s room. Thankfully, a combination of cinderblocks and Wolverine’s propped window made entering the second-floor bedroom relatively easy.
Unfortunately, the usual occupant was nowhere to be seen. Gambit had been hoping for a chance to apologize, repent, be shredded to pieces - anything to put the matter of his failure to rest before he left. For good. There wasn’t much else left to do.
Gambit gave the room a cursory inspection. He really hadn’t expected Logan to be so untidy - an empty bag of beef jerky was blowing in the breeze from the open window, clothes blanketed the floor, and an eviscerated pillow lay at his feet.
Somehow he spotted a permanent marker beneath the clutter and carefully extracted it. Finding something to write on was considerable more difficult so, after several minutes of pushing aside piles of thankfully indistinguishable items, Gambit settled for the mangled pillow he had discovered upon first entering.
After situating his makeshift paper on Wolverine’s high dresser and lowering his marker to begin his note, he realized he had no idea what he wanted to say. Or if he should say anything at all. Wolverine had made his feelings for him quite clear when he...
But ‘e looked so sad…
Really, there was no point in hoping. Gambit touched the marker to the pillowcase and watched dully as the ink bled through the fibers. He was so engrossed in staring into the spreading darkness that he jumped when a soft hand pawed at his forearm.
He turned to face Jean Grey in the uncertain half-light, skillfully forcing a smile across his drawn face.
„You gettin’ ta be a good t’ief, chère. Ole Gambit didn’ even ‘ear ya,” he said somewhat uneasily, genuinely unprepared for a confrontation with one of the X-Men he’d failed. Instead of responding or attacking him - both of which seemed equally possible - Jean threw a pointed glance at the pen still clutched in his hand. Somehow his subconscious told him she was waiting for an explanation - one he didn’t really didn’t have.
“Ah came t’talk to…” Gambit trailed off, suddenly unusually nervous, and waved his arms about the room weakly, gesturing to the various collected artifacts in the room by way of answer. With a shrug of defeat, he concentrated his attention on capping the marker and tossing it soundlessly into the shadows. He was at once very, very tired as he waited for Jean to speak. He knew she wouldn’t yell, but her soft, serious voice could still cut like a knife.
He stood in silence, expecting a cut, a stab, but received instead a warm, motherly smile from Jean, comforting even in the weak moonglow. With a sigh that was at once exhaustion and relief, Gambit took a seat on the edge of Wolverine’s bed.
“He’s not mad,” Jean said, lowering herself next to him. “You know that, right?” He didn’t respond, but she continued on as though she knew the answer. She probably did. “Nobody’s mad at you. Actually, we’re sorry. We should have been looking out for you. We let you down.” She paused, and Gambit felt compelled to turn to her. The sincerity of her expression caught him by surprise for the second time in ten minutes. “Do you forgive us?”
He suddenly wanted to cry. If he hadn’t stood and walked to the window just then, he might have. He leaned on the windowsill and let the cool air soothe him as he spoke into the wind. Miraculously, Jean still heard him whispering.
“You doan mean dat, chère. You saw…Ah jus’ let ‘im take ‘er away.” Yet again the redhead caught him unawares with her incongruously cheerful tone.
“The kids will be fine. We’re getting closer, even if we haven’t won yet. I mean, even you can’t take on Sinister and his army by yourself.” She smiled somewhat mischievously and rubbed Gambit’s arm from behind. Jean had a knack for knowing just what to say to make a person feel better. And for answering unspoken questions.
“He went looking for you,” she said earnestly. “He was worried.”
“But Ah…you doan know what ‘appened, chère…”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Gambit,” she said abruptly, and he knew that she knew. “In fact, you just might have done something right.”
Gambit stared at her, expression lost somewhere between excitement and desperation, and with an exaggerated sigh she gave a sharp tug on his arm and threw him toward the door.
“Go find him, Gumbo.”
With a bright smile Gambit tugged open the door and ran down the hall. Jean was just moving to close the window when a red head popped back into the room.
“T’anks, Jeanne.”
She couldn’t help but smile. They really were too much.
***
The roar of the motorcycle’s engine tore through the cool early-morning air as Wolverine accelerated down the deserted highway. The rising sun provided little heat, but dappled the pavement on the dangerous cliff-side road with pale shadows from the jagged rocks overhead. Rounding a final curve revealed the ominous Arethusa Falls, and Logan felt his stomach drop. It wasn’t his favorite place. Unwilling to slow down, he spotted a path leading into the forest surrounding the Falls that forked off of the highway and took it without a second thought, bouncing over the rocky terrain.
The bike moved slowly through the forest, weaving among the enormous pine trees as Wolverine made his way to the mouth of the waterfall, sniffing the air as he coasted.
Dirt, flowers, rabbit shit…it’s gonna be hard to find a Cajun…
He found the river and followed it, emerging from the trees into a grassy plain. Arethusa Falls was clearly visible beyond the field, the towering drop no less threatening for the distance, and the sound of thundering water beckoned Logan closer, even over the roar of his motorcycle.
He pulled up beside a boulder that jutted over the mouth of the Falls and stopped his bike. He could feel the gentle mist of the water as he hopped off and walked to the edge. The dagger-like rocks protruding from the water did nothing to lighten his spirits. Looking up revealed the cliff that the group had been standing on not a day before, and he could appreciate the startling length of the drop. Wolverine sighed.
I can’t even smell ‘im. But something around here reeks.
He cast his eyes downstream and grimaced. The current was more than strong enough to carry a man Gambit’s size. Especially if he were hurt, or unconscious…
A twig snapped behind him, barely audible over the roar of the water, and Logan spun around. There was only the darkness of the forest off in the distance, the dangerously winding river, the dying grass, and a few looming boulders dotting the plain. He shuddered.
Must be beavers around here...Damn beavers…
Logan shifted his shoulders and shoved his thumbs into his pants pockets, inhaling deeply through his nose. There was nothing but the stench he was beginning to recognize as rotting fish. The mutant turned back to the river and kicked a rock into the rushing water, the splash lost in the din of the rapids.
“Hmm…”
Wolverine had only a moment to notice a large shadow rise over his own cast on the boulder in front of him. He barely managed to turn around.
***
Gambit crouched at the top of a hill overlooking the complex, wind blowing his chestnut hair from his face. Seeing no life on the perimeter, he decided to make his move. As he ran towards the chain-link fence surrounding the complex, he spared a glance to the side, peering over the cliff he had fallen from toward the rumbling drone of Arethusa Falls. As ambiance, it was far from soothing.
Using his staff as leverage, he gracefully leapt over the barrier and crouched against the side of the brick building, only recalling his injuries when he jarred against the ground. He took a moment to catch his breath as he visually secured the area.
Dey all betta’ be in ‘ere…
With a grunt, Gambit rose and approached the stark, forbidding building, quietly pulling open the heavy, steel door. Inside, he immediately closed the door behind him and sank to the ground, taking cover in the darkness as he examined his new surroundings. A long, open hall stretched before him with no shortage of crossways and branching paths. The chipping green paint of the walls was visible beneath the sporadic buzzing yellow lights and was occasionally scarred with deep cracks through which Gambit could feel the cold air creeping in. Further down, decrepit lockers lined the path, their rusted doors hanging on immobile hinges.
Gambit cautiously proceeded down the hallway, dodging skillfully past abandoned classrooms full of run-down desks, experience keeping him attuned to the small signs that would signal the approach of an enemy. He passed by the school’s office, the glass windows shattered and littering the floor. Yellowing paper and empty mugs covered the surfaces of the derelict desks. Gambit got the sense that the building hadn’t been abandoned peacefully. The air with heavy with more than just dust, and Gambit found himself unable to suppress a shudder. The only thing missing were ghosts, and even that wouldn’t have been surprising.
Reality flooded back as Gambit spotted a harsh yellow light escaping from beneath a closed metal door at the end of the hall. He approached with caution and pressed his ear to the cold steel, vaguely recognizing the sounds of an indiscernible conversation taking place within. He decided the voices couldn’t be near the door, and so carefully placed his hand on the knob and turned it, peering through the slender opening. A naked bulb on the ceiling nearly blinded him, and he closed his eyes for a moment before cracking one open again to check the room. The light illuminated a moulding mop and bucket, as well as several yellow “Caution: Wet Floor” signs.
A custodian’s closet…
The room was small and uninhabited, so Gambit entered and crossed to a littered stone staircase in the opposite corner. He stood boldly at the top stair, but no one raised an alarm or tried to attack him. Still, he descended the stairs with practiced stealth, taking care not to disturb any of the garbage blanketing the steps.
Looks like Wolverine’s room.
As he crept down the stairs, the voices became clearer and more distinct.
“…said to just watch ‘em till he comes back.”
“Well, I’m sick of being a goddamn babysitter.”
“Just hang in there.”
Gambit reached the bottom of the stairway and peered around the corner. Past the fluffy pink insulation poking out of cracked basement walls and pipes were three of the Marauders. Riptide, Sabretooth, and the monstrous Blockbuster stood backs turned to the Cajun, staring at something trapped in what appeared to be a giant aquarium. Blockbuster moved away from the tank and Gambit’s eyes went wide. Behind the glass were four cowering children huddled together on the floor. Mia was one of them.
Gambit’s heart skipped a beat as she turned her tear-streaked face to the two mutants watching her. With her pales arms desperately wrapped about her bent legs, she looked as small and fragile as she had when they’d first discovered her in the warehouse.
“And what about him?”
Gambit’s eyes followed Sabretooth’s pointed nod to see a barred metal cage against the far wall. The cage was no more than three feet tall, forcing the prisoner to crouch as he glared at his captors. His wrists were stuck through the bars and bound tightly together with a pair of metal cuffs.
Logan…
Wolverine extended his claws in response to their stares, even though he was unable to move his hands. “Just don’t get too close,” Riptide laughed.
Sabretooth growled. “I don’t care what he does with the brats, but the old man is mine to kill.”
“You’d better not lay one finger on him, Sabretooth. Blockbuster wouldn’t let you, anyway. He has his orders,” Riptide hissed. “But don’t worry,” he continued, a wicked smirk distorting his features, “I’m sure the boss has adequately tortuous plans for him. You’ll be satisfied in the end.”
Gambit spotted two large wooden crates in front of him and he quickly scrambled behind them, cautiously leaning past the far box to keep an eye on his opponents. Out of the corner of his eye, Gambit saw Wolverine raise his head and he turned to see the older mutant staring at him in disbelief. Gambit nodded acknowledgement and leaned back behind the crates as he fished inside his long jacket. He didn’t need to tell Wolverine to be quiet.
His card began to glow bright red and, with all of his strength, the Cajun tossed it at the oblivious group of Marauders. Before they could react to the sudden moment they were enveloped in a staggering explosion of acrid smoke. Gambit reached inside his coat as he ran towards the debilitated group and brought out his metal staff. He reached his reeling victims and smacked the stick over Sabretooth’s head with preamble, sending him sprawling on the ground. Riptide, still coughing, jumped backwards, spinning faster than the eye could see. The tornado touched down, still whirling, and shot out three shurikens. Gambit ducked and jumped, dodging the first two. The third was stopped by his staff, embedding itself in the sturdy metal. The force of the impact nearly knocked the Cajun to the floor, but he swiftly regained his footing.
Sabretooth stood, rubbing his temple. It only took him a moment to apprehend the situation and he screamed an unnatural roar and ran towards Gambit. The Cajun gritted his teeth waiting for the right moment to strike. As Sabretooth reached him, Gambit sprang into the air and slammed the staff into Sabretooth’s back, the attached shuriken sinking into the brute’s spine. Sabretooth fell over howling and writhed on the ground until Gambit silenced him with another sharp rap to the head.
Riptide growled and began to spin once more. Gambit dashed to the storming mutant and shoved his staff into the gyrating winds. The tornado screamed and was thrown across the basement, slamming into the far wall with a sickening crack of bone and plaster. The beaten mutant slumped to the ground.
As the ground began to shake, Gambit turned around and was faced with the charging mass of Blockbuster. The theif dove out of the way, barely dodging the rampaging mutant. Blockbuster’s breakneck speed continued to propel him forward and he crashed into the wooden crates, giving Gambit a chance to form a plan for stopping the unstoppable force. The Marauder turned around to face his opponent again.
The Cajun grinned as an idea popped into his head, and he backed against the chill wall. He held out his staff, draped his coat roughly over it, and began waving his makeshift flag in front of him. “Torro!” he shouted in his best Matador impersonation. Blockbuster might not have been a bull, but he definitely saw red. With a guttural growl, he lowered his head, and began his stampede.
Gambit had to force himself to breathe as he watched the charging mutant near him, the ground trembling under each elephantine footstep. At the last second, Gambit dove away from the brute, somersaulting across the cold concrete floor. Blockbuster slammed head-first into the wall, breaking debris from the foundation. Large pieces of rock rained down upon the corpulent mutant and eventually buried him in a pile of stone. The limbs emerging from the mound twitched once and fell limp. Gambit took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Wolverine, sitting behind bars, could only stare dumbfounded at the staggering display that had just played out before him.
Gambit jogged over to the children’s holding cell and searched the large tank for a door. The children behind the glass screamed and cried for him, pounding the glass window inaudibly.
“’ey, Wolverine! ‘ow you open ‘dis t’ing?” Gambit called.
“I dunno. Get me outta here first.”
Gambit abandoned the aquarium and ran over to the tiny cage that held Wolverine. He experimentally kicked at it with his boot.
Wolverine scoffed. “Don’t even bother. It’s solid. Just get me outta this.” He nodded toward his imprisoned hands.
“Well, dere a key aroun’ ‘ere…?”
“Not sure. I ain’t never seen one. I just woke up in here not too long ago.”
“Hm…” Gambit examined the cuffs delicately. Wolverine fidgeted nervously as he stared at Gambit’s lowered head. Suddenly a weight fell away from his wrists and he snapped to attention to find the other mutant watching him anxiously, fingers lightly tracing along his reddened skin.
“Y’all right?” Gambit asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Wolverine drew his hands into the cage and carved the bars open listlessly. After a moment he managed to ease himself out of the cramped cage and he rose to his feet, scratching his matted hair. “How’d ya do that?”
Gambit waved the cuffs in front of him, smiling. “Just ‘ad t’press a few buttons. Aisé.”
Wolverine stared at his hands and shifted his feet uncomfortably. “Hey…Gumbo, look…I…” Suddenly he noticed Gambit worriedly looking over his shoulder at the imprisoned children. He abandoned his speech and nodded understanding. “Let’s get those kids.”
The pair jaunted over to the tank and searched the perimeter for a door. One side looked like it would slide completely open; however, there seemed no way to move it from the tank itself. Gambit then noticed a card reader attached to the nearby console, a red light shining brightly.
“Look like we need a keycar’, homme.”
“Check the freaks.”
Wolverine frisked Sabretooth’s unconscious body as Gambit patted down Riptide on the opposite side of the basement. Taking one last glance at the Cajun to make sure he wasn’t looking, Wolverine swiftly kicked Sabretooth in the chin, sending a resounding crack through the barren chamber.
“What was dat?” Gambit asked.
“Nothin’. Hit my foot on a rock. He doesn’t have it,” Logan ascertained, nudging the fallen mutant roughly with his shoe for emphasis.
“Hol’ on. I tink I got somethin’ on Riptide…”
Gambit opened Riptide’s coat revealing numerous glistening shurikens lining the fabric. He reached inside the only pocket he could see and came out holding a red card.
“Oui. ‘ere it is.”
They hurried back to the side of the tank. Gambit slid the card through the reader and the glass wall began scraping open.
The children stared almost uncomprehendingly at the open door. Gambit made to enter, but suddenly felt a painful grip on the back of his neck.
“Ow! Wolverine, what you-”
The Cajun was lifted off of the floor, struggling and kicking as he hung by his neck. Wolverine’s similar grunting convinced him they weren’t alone in the room, yet he was somehow still surprised to hear Sinister’s voice rasping breathily next to his ear.
“This is very impressive, Gambit. I honestly wouldn’t have expected this much from you.” Sinister held the struggling mutants in the air at arm’s length. “But these children are mine.” Sinister threw the two X-Men across the basement. The bodies fell into a row of folded metal chairs. Wolverine jumped up and unsheathed his claws, while Gambit stood and brandished a glowing card.
Sinister grinned with dark amusement and brushed off his coat.
The X-Men charged him, and Sinister leapt into the air, landing behind the duo as they ran past, his feet connecting with the backs of their heads. Wolverine groaned, the wall about his head sporting a network of new cracks. Gambit leapt up from the ground and once again took out his staff. He swung it skillfully, but Sinister blocked every attempted blow with his arm. He snatched the stick from Gambit and threw it behind him, giving the Cajun a swift kick in the gut, and he fell back on top of Wolverine.
“It’s no use. I am far more powerful than either of you will ever be. More powerful than any X-Man. And soon, more powerful than Charles Xavier himself,” Sinister hissed.
He approached the prone forms of the two X-Men. “But now, it’s time to end your suffering…and mine as well. I’m fed up with your meddling. You two have been more of a headache than you could possibly imagine. No longer, though.”
Sinister tore a metal pipe out of the wall, steam hissing out of the new opening. He raised the pipe over his head and smiled. “And then there were three.”
The pipe whistled through the air, but the blow never connected.
“What?” Sinister growled. He let go of the pipe and stared as it floated in the air. He backed away and spotted a large green vine holding the metal tube in place. The vine was a foot thick and had small green leaves and yellow flowers emerging from its thick skin. Sinister touched it curiously, feeling the organic texture of the plant. Reflexively, the vine smacked Sinister across the face with the pipe, sending him soaring through the air and tumbling onto the floor, groaning. He stood unsteadily, rubbing his face and followed the length of the plant with his eyes. The vine originated from a newly-made hole in the concrete floor. And next to the opening stood one of the children - a frail girl with black hair, pale skin visible from beneath her tattered black sweater and holey jeans. She stared, unmoving, at Sinister from beneath a lowered brow, hands at her side.
Sinister chuckled. “Get back in the tank, little one,” he said, pointing.
Mia made no move.
Sinister took a deep, shaking breath, his fury building. “I will not ask again, child.”
She stood.
Sinister cracked his knuckles and marched toward her, scowling.
The floor began to shake, stopping Sinister in his tracks as he fought to maintain his balance. Out of the opening shot three more vines, even larger and thicker than the previous. The vines wrapped around Sinister’s body, tying his legs together. He fought viciously to escape from the grasp of the vegetation, but the flora was frozen in an unbreakable posture, grip firmer than steel, and it lifted him off of his feet.
Gambit and Wolverine watched the scene in utter amazement.
The vines snaked up Sinister’s torso, engulfing his arms and surrounding his neck, constricting. Before his eyes, the yellow flowers on the surface closed and the vines began retreating back into the hole.
Sinister’s muffled scream was barely heard from behind the vines as his bound body was dragged into the subterranean cavern. As the sound died away, a single daisy sprouted from a crack in the floor beside the hole.
Mia’s suddenly relaxed from her rigid posture as her legs gave out beneath her. Gambit’s arms were around her at once and she gasped as he held her close to him, pressing his face to hers, his two-day stubble tickling her cold skin. Gambit relaxed his grip only slightly to plant a kiss on the top of her head, then let out a sigh of relief.
I’s over…
Wolverine stood up shakily and walked over to the tank.
“Everyone okay in here?”
The children wiped away their tears and nodded their heads, sniffling.
“All right. Gumbo, we need to contact Beast. Get the Blackbird out here to pick everyone up.”
Gambit gently shifted Mia in his arms so he could reach his pocket. He brought out his radio and sighed again in relief when he turned the knob and received a reassuring crackle.
Beasts soothing voice was carried over the air waves. “Yes? This is Beast.”
“’Ey, Beast…i’s Gambit. I’m out at da facility by da Falls. I got Wolverine wit’ me. And we got all da children. We need you to bring da Blackbird out ‘ere and pick us up.”
“Gambit, you…how…?”
“We’ll s’plain lata’. Just get out ‘ere soon as ya can.”
“Will do. I’m on my way.”
Wolverine seemed suddenly to wake up. “Oh, Doc!” Wolverine shouted from across the room.
“Yes, Logan?” the radio crackled.
“Pick up my bike before you get here, would ya? It’s at the mouth of the waterfall.”
Beast’s laugh was tinny amidst the static. “Wolverine…”
“Jus’ do it, Doc.”
“Al-all right. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The radio clicked off.
The children walked out of the tank and stretched shyly, taking in their rescuers. Mia wiggled out of Gambit’s arms and ran over to them, smiling.
Wolverine shuffled up next to Gambit.
“So…we got ‘em.”
“Oui. I tink dey’re all okay.”
“Yeah, me too. Listen, Gambit. About the waterfall…I, uh, didn’t, well, ya know…”
Gambit turned to Wolverine and hugged him tightly. He leaned close to his ear and whispered.
“Don’ worry ‘bout it. Everyt’ings fine now.”
Wolverine smiled and let his head fall into the chestnut hair.
Gambit released his grip and put his arm around Logan’s shoulder. The two walked over to the group of kids and led them outside.
Within ten minutes, the Blackbird arrived. The deafening roar of the engine drowned out the wild exclamations of the children as it touched down.
“All right, e’ryone. We gon’ go home now. All of us.”
The X-Men guided the children up the lowered ramp and into the aircraft. The Blackbird lifted off and soared over Arethusa Falls.
The kids stared at the thundering waterfall.
“Look at that!”
“Wow!”
“That’s a long way down!”
Despite the constant requests of the children to “look!” Gambit and Wolverine never did, only sitting silently in the back of the jet, letting the strain of the past week melt away.
The Blackbird left Arethusa Falls and continued onwards towards the horizon.
“Well, dis looks like yo’ stop, Aaron.” Gambit reached a gloved hand down and ruffled the boy’s hair fondly.
“Yeah, kiddo, you take care o’ yerself. And remember what we said about the school. You can come anytime.”
Aaron smiled sheepishly but managed to stammer “Yes…yessir” before running into his house.
Gambit grinned. “Ya scared ‘im, homme.”
Wolverine grumbled and punched him lightly as they made their way back to the jet.
“Where are we going now?” Mia chirped from the co-pilot seat.
“We’re going ‘ome, chérie.”
Mia wriggled excitedly, a dozen questions obviously dancing through her mind, but she kept silent and stared through the windshield.
It only took two minutes to make the trip back to the mansion. Unfortunately, it took Beast just as long again to land and power down the Blackbird, and Mia grew impatient. Gambit had to hold her back to prevent her from tumbling down the ramp as it began its slow descent to the floor of the hangar.
When they finally reached solid ground, a small welcoming party was waiting for them.
“Hello,” came the first voice, warm and kind. “Your name is Mia, right? I don’t think you remember me. My name is Jean.”
“And I am Storm. It is a pleasure to meet you, young Mia.”
“We have a surprise for you, Mia, if you want to come see,” said Jean. “We heard you were coming and got a room all ready for you.”
Mia gave Gambit a frightened glance, but her worry melted away beneath his loving smile. “Go on, petite. See what da ladies fixed for you.”
Mia scampered off with Jean and Storm, already chattering and bouncing. Beast loped out of the Blackbird as Gambit and Wolverine watched the group depart.
“Well, gentlemen, I believe I shall retire to my quarters. I should like to find at least one night’s peaceful slumber before we are again called to the battlefield. As Ovid wrote,” Beast murmured as he began to walk away, “sleep ‘soothes our breasts by daily toil over-wearied, and prepares for labor new.’” His voice faded into the corridor and Wolverine and Gambit found themselves alone in the hangar.
“So, we’re good now, right?” Wolverine broke the silence even though it had not been entirely unpleasant.
“’Course. Somethin’ wrong?”
“Nah. Well, I suppose…I was just wondering,” Wolverine cleared his throat forcefully and shifted his lower jaw. “Well, if you meant it.”
Gambit stared at Wolverine’s lowered head for a long moment before realization dawned on him.
“Yeah, Ah meant it.”
Wolverine sighed deeply and his shoulders shrugged. Gambit could feel a tiring sadness begin to descend upon him again, but before the familiar feeling could take root Wolverine’s heavy hands gripped his shoulders firmly. He looked up to the other man looking unusually nervous, but the image only lasted a moment before Wolverine leaned forward and planted a tentative kiss on his lips.
Before he could gather his wits to form even an incoherent response, Wolverine was halfway to the door.
“C’mon Rems, doncha wanna see your girl’s new room?”
“Ouais, yeah…” Gambit shook his head furiously, then grinned broadly as he broke into a run. “’ey Logan, wait up!”
Continue to Epilogue