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| The Mysterious X-Man |
| At the start Gambit was indeed one of the more mysterious X-Men, the fact he had told no-one of his former life would become a big issue, especially between the Cajun and the Southern Belle. Of course in the beginning it was hard to know what Gambit's intentions were, even Professor X couldn't figure them out. When Rogue was blinded however by X-Cutioner, Remy offered to become her eyes, although he did give her a strange lesson about trusting him which almost ended up with her in the mansion's pool. This incident lead to Professor X believing that Remy was merely playing with Rogue's affections, and she was nothing more than a game to him. This shortly turned out not to be true. Although Rogue seemed unconcerned about her lack of sight, even taking Gambit on a blind-flight trusting him to be her radar, Rogue later retreated to the roof (in UXM #287) and brooded. When Remy came up she revealed to him the truth of her feelings, she wanted him to be the one to hold her and tell her everything would turn out fine. However when Remy went to touch her she pulled away from him of course because of her absorption power. She accused him however of not been able to control himself, and told him she was not a THING he could charge up and throw away. She was a woman, and unless he was going to treat her like one then he could just leave. He did leave, but returned shortly after, with a blanket, which he wrapped around Rogue's shoulder so he could indeed hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine. In the midst of all this there was the even more shocking news. Bella Donna Boudreaux was not dead, or if she had been she wasn't anymore, however she lay on the brink of death in a coma back in New Orleans. It was Remy's brother Henri who brought this news, after sucessfully evading the high-tech security systems of the X-Mansion, only to die by an Assassin's arrow. Remy went after the Assassins only to find out something even more shocking, Julien Boudreaux also lived, and even survived another sword thrust through the gut. Julien warned Remy to keep away from his sister. Remy been Remy wasn't about to that, instead he immediately headed for New Orleans to confirm whether it was true that Belle lived. What he didn't know was that Rogue was right behind him to make sure he would be all right. Luckily she was, since upon arriving at Belle's house and discovering that indeed she lived he was surrounded by Assassins. As good as he was, the stakes were rather high on him coming out on top, so Rogue's arrival was timely. Marius Boudreaux revealed to Remy that there was only one way to save Bella Donna, the Elixir of Life given to the Thieves Guild a tithing time, which happened to be that very year. So, taking Bella Donna Gambit crashed (for lack of a better word) the Tithing ritual and therefore the Tithe was not completed, only one bottle of Elixir was in the Thieves possession. Assassins would later steal the second vial from the Tithe Collector, the third and final vial lay in the hands of the Benefactress Candra herself. Knowing this, Gambit took Belle to the mansion he had originally brought for them to live in after their marriage. Despite the fact she was Remy's wife, Rogue was prepared to remain behind and look after her. With Rogue to protector Remy was confident enough to head to Paris to find the External. Upon meeting her, Remy got a nasty shock, he had known Candra before, intimately, and she wasn't to happy that he had left her, refusing to give the Elixir unless Remy killed his adopted father, despite having told Jean-Luc he'd no longer be his son, Remy refused. Candra planned to kill him until Julien turned up and tried to kill her in order to get the Elixir, Remy saved her, and he and Julien almost ended up in a duel to the death there, but Candra having recovered for Julien's unexpected attack disposed of him easily. Candra still refused to give the Elixir to Remy, but not to be beaten Remy sneakily laid a very disorientating kiss on her after 'charming' her. During the kiss he somehow managed to get the Elixir from Candra's bodice. Unfortunately this broke the Tithe, leading Candra to order the death of the Thieves. Still short of one vial Remy returned to New Orleans to search for it. He found it in the Chaple of the Guilds, with Julien Boudreux, he having gotten it from a traiterious thief Pierre. Remy went to steal it, but Julien warned him of it's possible horrific consquences and revealed his face, which he had kept headed so far. Julien was wasted, goulish and zombie like, enough to make Gambit hesitate, and ask his father if Belle would suffer the same fate if he used the elixir on her. Julien is begging for just one drop of the Elixir when the church was ambushed by the Tithe Collector and the Assassins, who were there to get the Elixir back. Gambit manages to escape by charging a statue and throwing it into the centre of the Assasins mob. Not ones to give up, the Assassins tail him, but Remy gets rid of them, and returns to the Mansion, only to find Tante Mattie knocked out, and Rogue and Belladonna been held hostage by the Tithe Collector. He goes to kill them, but Remy charges his coat and esnds him out a window, only to have Julien jump him just as he finishes mixing the Elixir to give to Belle. Julien in his mindless disperation to get the Elixir, stabs Remy's hand with a sword, smashing the Elixir vial, some of which falls onto Belle's bedsheets. Furious at Julien for seemingly ruined Belle's chance to live, Remy goes to kill him, but can't. He turnes away, and Julien almost succeeds in killing Remy, but Julien himself is killed by a ddozen arrows, shot into his back by his father. Remy apolgises to Marius for failing him, and Bella Donna and says if the Assassins want to kill him they can go ahead. Around this point Candra shows up, and tells the Assassins to kill Remy and the Thieves in exchange for both the Life and the Power with no Tithe. Marius however realises that Remy is right about been nothing but slaves to Candra and refuses. Candra out numbered (she STILL can be killed) backs down, and lamenting that she and Remy could have done many things together disappears, after breaking her association with the Thieves and Assassins. Marius wants to take Belle back to his Mansions so he can spend her last days with her, but Remy has an idea, squeezing out a few drops from the Elixir stained bedsheets he succeeds in bringing Belle to life! But something has gone drastically wrong, Belle cannot remember her own husband or father! Knowing that he can't stay with her, Remy says he is just a friend of hers, and leaves her in the care of Marius. He is left alone with Rogue, who he tries to kiss, but Rogue acting strangely, flies off, Remy expected as much however, and resigns himself to the fact he will never use the mansion he has purchased to raise a family. |