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Chap 3: The Showdown


Gambit smiled as he read the Danger Room training schedule. Seeing Wolverine’s name opposite from his seemed like a sign from the Gods and today, he was going to heed them. Guess its time for our “talk”, he thought, his red eyes flashing in anticipation.

“Ready, Gumbo,” Wolverine asked as he walked past him going into the Danger Room.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Gambit replied, following him.

As the room changed to their setting, Gambit removed his coat, knowing that it would slow him down. Throwing it aside, Gambit locked the door to prevent their “talk” from being interrupted.

Before the bell could ring, Gambit sent five charged cards in Wolverine’s direction. Quickly dodging them, Wolverine growled, sensing that this was more than just a sparing.

“Pullin out the big guns early, huh Gumbo?” he asked, stalking Gambit, moving silently around the pillars to come up behind Gambit.

“Nah, that just a taste of what ah have in store for ya, mon ami.”

“So what did ah do to deserve such grand treatment?”

“Ya know what ya did and now ya have to pay,” Gambit said, catching Wolverine in the chest with his charged Ace of Spades. The force of the small explosion sent Wolverine reeling back against the wall, the searing pain awakening the animal in him.

“So it’s a fight ya want, Gumbo,” Wolverine growled, getting to his feet. Eye to eye, they circled “ Gambit, his cards charging, Wolverine, his claws extended, ready for battle. “Then let’s do this,” Wolverine cried as he advanced, connecting with Gambit.

Up in the control room, Beast sat with Forge, talking and watching the pair in the Danger Room. Since they were to be working together very closely, Beast thought it best that they get to know each other better. The conversation went from very general conversation to the suspected neutralizers.

“Let’s hope those neutralizers don’t end up in the wrong hands,” Beast said as a bright light from the Danger Room caught his eye.

“Oh my goodness,” Beast said his face horrified as he watched Gambit throw a barrage of charged cards at Wolverine, knocking him back, his blood staining his damaged uniform.

“So I take it their not suppose to try to kill each other,” Forge said, reading Beast’s facial expression.

“No,” he replied.

“Stop Program,” Beast said, using the command to end the program. The computer did not respond. “Stop Program,” Beast said again, louder this time, hoping that the computer did not register his command the first time. Still, the computer did not respond.

Frustrated, Beast grabbed the mic. “Gambit, Wolverine, stop,” he yelled, trying to reason with the two men. Neither man acknowledged his request, staying focused only on the task before them.

“Gambit, Wolverine, stop,” he yelled louder, pounding on the indestructible windows, trying to get their attention to no avail.

Walking past the door on her way to her room, Rogue heard Beast yelling. “Beast, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“It’s Gambit and Wolverine. It seems as if they are actually trying to kill each other and the computer is not responding to my commands,” he replied, trying to override the computer.

“Damn,” Beast growled, as his efforts to override the computer got no response.

Looking through the window into the room, Rogue could see a bloody Wolverine trying to slash an equally bloody Gambit. Grabbing the mic, Rogue screamed, “Remy, Logan please stop.”

Hearing Rogue’s voice, Gambit hesitated, the charged cards fading to their original color. Seeing his chance, Wolverine leaped and landed on Gambit, pounding him with a series of fists.

“Nooo,” Rogue screamed, flying out of the control room and headed to the Danger Room’s door. Pounding with all her might, her efforts to open door were futile as the reinforced steel held up under her assault. The tears began flowing unchecked, blurring her vision as she continued to pound away. The thought of losing Gambit fueled the adrenaline pumping through her as she continued to hammer away as the door.

On the other side of the door, Gambit struggled to remain conscious as Wolverine’s fists rained down on him. A picture of Rogue flashed through Gambit’s mind, awakening a fire deep within him. Gambit, determined to touch the face of his love once again, struggled under his attacker. Pooling what was the last of his strength, Gambit threw Wolverine off of him, sending Wolverine into the opposite wall. Slowly getting to his feet, Gambit pulled another deck of cards from one of his many pockets. Charging them, Gambit waited until he was standing before launching another barrage.

As she neared the Danger Room control room, Storm heard Beast yelling.

“Beast, what’s going on?” Storm asked, watching Beast and Forge trying to override the system to shut down the program.

“I’m afraid that Gambit and Wolverine have decided that today is the day that they must kill their opponent,” Beast replied, looking up from his efforts to override the computer.

Not believing what she had been told, Ororo looked in at the combatants, just in time to see a bloodied Wolverine pick up and throw an equally bloodied Gambit. Not wanting to see more, Storm left the room and flew to the Danger Room door. In route, she called Nightcrawler on her communicator, and told him to meet her at the Danger Room entrance.

Turning the corner, Storm stopped short as she watched a sobbing Rogue pound on the door.

“Rogue, please stop,” Storm said, walking toward her friend, careful not to get in the way. Nightcrawler appeared just as Rogue was taking her last swing. Still crying, she collapsed on the floor. Seeing his sister, Nightcrawler moves to go to her aid but is stopped by Storm.

“She will be fine,” she said, touching his shoulder to get his attention, “I need you to get me in that room right now.” Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Nightcrawler nods and clutches Storm’s hand.

Appearing on the other side of the door, Nightcrawler grabbed Storm and jumped, dodging some of Gambit’s cards. Thanks, her eyes told him. “Go and get Rogue out of here. I don’t want her to see Gambit like this,” Storm instructed him. Nodding, he disappeared.

Calling up a wind to carry her, she hovered over the combatants. Realizing that there was no reasoning with them, Storm decided that the best way to handle the situation was to put it on ice. Floating above them, Storm summoned a blizzard, filling the room with freezing snow and artic winds. Feeling the cold, both men looked up at floating goddess. What a beautiful sight, Wolverine thought before he blacked out.

Watching the men fall onto the snow covered floor, Storm stopped the blizzard. Lowering herself to the ground, she rushed over to unlock the door. Unable to stand the cold, Beast and Forge waited with a gurney as Storm pulled the men from the snow and placed them on the beds. The men were quickly covered with blankets to help restore their body’s natural body temperature.

“How bad is it, Hank?” the Professor asked a few hours later.

“It could have been worse, Professor, if the team had not acted as quickly as they did,” he told him as they stood in the infirmary, looking over the prone bodies of their teammates. Beast and Jean Grey had treated and wrapped the wounds of both men and now were watching their vital signs to make sure everything was okay.

“What do you think happened, Professor?” Jean asked, watching a tearful Rogue as she sat beside Gambit, his hand in her gloved ones.

“I’m not sure, Jean,” he replied glancing at Storm, who sat beside Wolverine, reading a novel, “We may never know.”





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