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xp_logs2006-06-05 04:57 pm
x-traction.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2006-06-05 04:57 pm
The Mask of Ozymandias: Welcome to Egypt
On the flight to Egypt, Remy briefs ‘Ro and Marie about what lies ahead. Some tension arises between the two former thieves on the options available to them.
Ororo stared out the front window of the jet, which was now cruising comfortably around 40,000 feet with very little turbulence. It had been a smooth flight thus far, and she wasn't expecting any trouble in the air. Save that for when we land, she thought with a smirk, checking the controls one last time and then cueing the autopilot on. Unfastening her seatbelt, she turned to check on Marie and Remy, who had thus far been rather quiet. Surprisingly so.
"We should reach London in a little over five hours," she informed them, smiling. "After refueling we will then be on our way to Cairo, which will not take too long. It should be a smooth journey."
After the previous night’s events, Marie was relieved that she had already had a reason to leave to the mansion. The excitement over what lay ahead was helping to push the memory of Doug yelling at her out of her mind. Marie had intentionally remained quiet for most of the flight, just performing the necessary tasks and attempting to remain unobtrusive. Doing so had not been easy, as silence was still a little unsettling for her and her companions hadn’t engaged in much idle chit chat. But since she still felt like Remy didn’t want her there, she didn’t want to give him any excuse to try and send her back. Smiling back at ‘Ro, she just nodded in response and resumed her internal reflection.
Remy looked up from his chair, enjoying the comfort of the Frost Industries jet. It wasn’t lavish, but it had been built with functionality in mind, including the office style area at the front of the passenger cabin. Remy had commandeered the long desk space while the two women fussed with controls and preformed the strange take off procedures that Remy was just as happy to let remain a mystery to him.
“Dat’s good. Crashing into de ocean voids our travel insurance.” He said, taking another look through some of the documents he’d brought with him. “Dis plane really needs a stewardess.”
"I am sure that if you asked nice enough, Marie could be convinced to lob some peanuts at you," 'Ro said with a smirk. "Something tells me a jet of this size and expense must have some snacks hidden somewhere. Though perhaps we shouldn't go poking around too much."
Marie removed her seatbelt and headed to her carryon bag. “Ah needed an excuse to stretch my legs anyways.” Rifling through it for a few seconds, she pulled out a few granola bars. “Ah learned to always travel with food when Ah was younger…never knew when Ah wouldn’t be able to find some,” she explained. “But for drinks, you’re on your own…Ah like being alive and have no desire to piss Emma off by stumbling across something Ah shouldn’t see.” Tossing one to ‘Ro, she hesitated before deciding to walk over and hand one to Remy instead of throwing it to him.
"Where as Remy, on de other hand, more den happy to piss Emma off. After dat brownstone, she got it coming." Remy said, accepted the granola bar and munching on it while he awkwardly limped over to the back of the jet and started opening up doors. After a few minutes of muffled muttering, and something that sounded suspiciously like a bottle breaking, he hobbled back. His journey had yielded a couple of cans of Coca-Cola, two bottles of water, a dish of ice, and several mini liquor bottles.
"I'd offer but you both driving." Remy said as he dumped the stash into one of the chairs, keeping only the ice and the small bottles of bourbon. He sat back down carefully, poured his drink into a tumbler, and pulled out a couple of packages to hand to them. "Had dese made up before I left. It's all de information dat we've been able to put together so far. Unfortunately, dere's almost nothing new for us."
'Ro retrieved a bottle of water from the seat and took a package from Remy, slipping back into her seat. She opened the folder, spreading it as best she could against the arm of the seat, glancing over it. As Remy had said, it was mostly information she had seen before; not exactly heartening. "Somehow the fact that el-Gibar is our best lead makes me think this is going to be harder than we want it to be." Unscrewing the top from her water, she took a sip, appreciating the liquid in the rather parched environment of the cockpit. "I take it he does not know we are coming?"
"Unless you called ahead, non. I think it's better to spring us on de old batard. He might let something slip if he's off balance." Remy didn't bother to add his opinion on the likelihood of that. He took a sip from the glass and continued. "Most of dis has come from either Jake's sources or de Thieves Guild in New Orleans, so even if they're looking for someone poking around, there's nothing to link it to us directly."
Remy pulled out a sheet from the package and tapped it. "Emergency procedures. If one of us comes down wit' a sudden case of bullet induced death, this is how we get out. De plane will be compromised in that event. Commit de phone numbers on here to memory. If something happens, get out and find some where dat you can hole up for twenty minutes. Call any of dis, and it will activate a network to get you out of de immediate area quietly. If one of you gets killed, Remy sure de Professor not ever let him live it down."
Marie leafed through the papers in the package, committing the numbers and material to memory while listening to ‘Ro and Remy. She still felt like she was playing catch up since she was missing the connection to this world that both of them had. Settling back into her seat, she turned so she could watch both her companions. “So we’re just gonna show up on this el-Gibar’s doorstep?”
"Well, it's less a doorstep, more a... well, a tunnel," 'Ro said consideringly. "If we can get there, I am sure he will at least speak to us. Whether he will tell us what we want to know is another thing altogether. It would be better if we had something offer him, but unless you have something up your sleeve, Remy, he may laugh in our faces."
"He might, but I doubt it. I'm willing to bet even money dat he's been keeping tabs on you, Stormy. Dat means he'll at least have an inkling of what you're into dese days." Remy took another sip. "Despite my recent infirmaty, de name 'Gambit' still carries some associations wit' it. If he knows something, I think dat he going to be willing to barter for it. There'll be something dat he wants."
Marie raised her eyebrow at the mention of a tunnel, looking carefully at ‘Ro, but not voicing her concern. Shifting her gaze to Remy, she asked, “But what do we have to offer? Or should Ah say, that we're willing to offer?”
"Information is de normal coin of dis types of deals. If he's gone soft in de head, he might ask for money. It really doesn't matter." Remy flipped a couple of pages. "If it comes down to it, el-Gibar knows dat Gambit can leave him breathing through a machine in seconds if I need to. So either he stonewalls and doesn't talk to us at all, tries to kill us off the bat, or brings us in wit' something in mind. If we talk to him, he'll already have a price worked out."
"The information is entirely your field, Remy," Ororo said after a pause. "I have nothing of that nature to offer him, nor would I care to even if I did." She turned to Marie, her expression serious. "El-Gibar is a scheming man, and he will not hesitate to try and manipulate us. We must be careful, and be sure to watch what we say around him. I am sure Remy is aware of that, as well."
“Ah understand…don’t see that there’d be much reason for me t’ be talking anyways. This is y’all’s show.” Rogue continued studying the information, not wanting to let even the smallest detail get past her.
"De question, of course, is how important finding out what Magneto's up to, if it is him involved, is to you X-Men, Stormy. Dere's a chance dat if el-Gibar wants something, it's going to be something dat we normally don't want to give him." Remy leaned back in his chair and peered over the rim of the glass. "Dere's 'bout five hours for you to think 'bout dat."
"Thank you," Ororo said a bit tightly, pursing her lips as her eyes wandered over the papers in front of her. "I can tell you now that I will be keeping my actions entirely in the perfectly-legal realm; I have lived on the other side of the law before and I have no desire to begin that again. I will do my best to help, but not at the expense of the life I have built for myself. I cannot think of a clearer way to state my intentions."
And Marie had thought she would be the only source of interpersonal tension on this trip. Her eyes covertly darted from ‘Ro to Remy and back to ‘Ro. Something was going on there and suddenly her decision to remain quiet and inconspicuous on this trip was looking very attractive. Making every effort to appear studiously engaged in the file in her lap, she pondered what Remy was implying they may need to do.
"Stormy, whatever you might think, you living on de other side of de law now. You just happen to be useful vigilantes to dem at dis point." Remy grinned. One of the things that had always baffled him about the mansion was the idea that despite no legal authority to interfere, owning military grade hardware, a machine in the basement that could be classified the biggest WMD in history, and a sizable record in property damage, as far as he can tell most of the X-Men seemed to think what they did was legal.
"However, dat is an argument for 'nother time. Dis is de reality. We have no idea if el-Gibar knows anything. If he does, we have no idea what he'll want for it. All because de Professor's old golfing buddy happens to want a mask older den Jesus. Maybe it's just art appreciation. Or maybe de mask is part of something bigger." Remy finished his drink and set the glass carefully on the desk. "Either way, I think de fact dat magnetic salope wants it is enough reason for me to keep it from him. If it is something more, Remy pretty sure I know who's address he's more likely to show up at to use it against. You figure out how important dat is to de both of you."
Remy held up his cane and tapped it on the side of his chair. "Because maman LeBeau's favourite son seems to be down to harsh language and thumping dem 'tween de eyes in his arsenal."
'Ro bit down several less-than-pleasant replies, merely smiling slightly as she took a sip of water. Remy always seemed to enjoy pointing out the things she tried not to think about. Which would not be so bad, if he was not so good at it. "You need never fear for your safety, Remy. Marie and I will take good care of you," she added with a smirk. "And I am sure when the moment comes, we will know exactly what to do."
Marie’s expression remained stoic, despite the inward desire to giggle as she pictured rescuing Remy by tossing him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Forcing herself back from that rather satisfying daydream, she focused on the rest of what had been said. “Ah’m sure we will all do what needs to be done, whatever that may be.” Which we will determine on our own, not by you telling us.
"Can't tell you what a warm, happy feeling dat it gives Remy." LeBeau settled back and poured himself another drink. "You do what you need to do, and Remy do what I need to do. Which is to take a nap. Wake me up before we crash, neh?" Remy grinned as he kicked up his foot and closed his eyes.
Remy, Marie and Ororo take a stroll through the market and receive a very thoughtful escort to el-Gibar's headquarters. They have a nice talk involving veiled threats and a lot of posturing, and Remy shows off his superior bargaining skills by offering to sell Marie to sweeten the deal.
Cairo seethed in the mid-afternoon heat. They'd landed in the morning, just as the first of the oppressive heat began to take over the streets. True to her word, the Frost Industries plane was given preferential placement in the landing queue, and their passports and baggage were treated to no more than a cursory glance from the officials. They'd quietly left the airport in a rental car, and ended up in the Agouza district around noon.
Marie's questions about looking around were quickly ended by both Ororo and Remy, who were not strangers to this part of the world, and saw them installed into a local resturaunt at the edge of the warren of streets. After a long lunch of mulukhia, eesh-baladi, koshari, and hamam mashwi, they finally ventured out into the district after the worst of the noon day sun.
Distracted by the sights and sounds of the district, Marie struggled to keep up with ‘Ro and Remy. She was truly fascinated by her surroundings and made a resolution to herself to actually travel for pleasure one of these days. As her companions rounded a corner, she hurried so as not to lose them.
'Ro had been mostly quiet since they had arrived, though she had done most of the ordering for their meal, though Remy's accent wasn't quite as bad as he had made it out to be. With a pair of sunglasses on and a large, wide-brimmed hat on, she looked just like any other tourist, though perhaps her skin tone blended in a bit better.
Glancing around to orient herself in the twisting streets, she paused just a moment before indicating a particularly narrow sidestreet. "That way," she murmured, just loud enough for Remy and Marie to hear her.
Remy turned down with them, limping along a few paces behind. It was over five years since he was last in Cairo, and his Arabic was a lot rustier than he'd remembered. His eyes flickered over the street, watching for trouble. His spatial sense had been all but ruined by the damage to his right eye, and he regretted it in this situation. This was a place that trouble would give them little warning.
"Remy going to guess dat el-Gibar got eyes all over dis place, neh?" Remy said to Ororo, seeing at least two people watching them with undue interest from a tiny cafe and a market stall.
"Yes, I am sure our presence has not gone unnoticed. If we are lucky-" though it wasn't exactly how Ororo would define 'lucky', "we will be spared the difficulty of finding him as his agents will bring us to him."
Marie was anxious for whatever was going to happen to just happen already. Whether they found el-Gibar or he found them, she was just ready for the ball to start rolling. After a quick look around, she quickened her pace. “Shouldn’t be much longer, from the look of things.”
"What makes you say-" Remy followed Marie's look down the street, which had suddenly emptied of everyone but three men armed with machine guns. While most of Cairo was heavily Westernized, this area still took it's cue from the souks of history, and these men in the narrow streets would not bring any assistance from police.
Remy sighed and settled leaning on his cane. "If dey ask for our invitations, remember to smile before you say non."
'Ro removed her sunglasses and tucked them into her pocket, straightening up as the three men approached in a triangular formation. The two in the back looked nervous, and she thought she recognized the one on the left from a long time ago. She waited until they were near, then spoke a few words in Arabic. The man in the front answered gruffly, and 'Ro tentatively turned her head towards Remy and Marie. "He wishes to know if we have particular business in this area. I believe they will escort us to el-Gibar if we are careful.”
At the mention of el-Gibar's name the men stirred, lifting their guns slightly and stepping towards the three. "But we must tell them soon, or leave."
Marie stiffened, waiting for Remy to take the lead. I wish I understood Arabic. She kept a close watch on the body language of the three men, hoping she would get enough warning to react if they got impatient and decided to shoot first and ask questions later.
"Merde." Remy muttered, waiting for Ororo to speak and seeing her not. She wasn't one to normally hold back, as a teacher, an X-Men; Remy mentally reassessed her operational state. Maybe she'd been too long out of this world to be comfortable dipping back into it.
"el-Gibar is waiting for us." Remy said in good, if slightly toneless Arabic. He was gambling that the old man was looking for them. If not, then both Marie and Ororo had better have trained in defense scenarios against three gunmen.
The lead gunman eyed Remy, then Ororo and Marie, speaking quickly to the other two men. Whether or not el-Gibar actually was looking for them, no one would be the wiser if the three mutants never made it to see him. They seemed about ready to heft their guns to take care of the problem when 'Ro held up her hand, once again speaking to them. It was too accented for the other two to follow, but there was definite mention of her own name, along with el-Gibar's.
The gunmen's faces looked no less unwelcoming, but after Ororo finished speaking they grudgingly turned, motioning for Remy, Marie and Ororo to follow one man as the other two guarded them from behind. Ororo's expression was unreadable as she stepped after them, looking less and less like a tourist now.
"Guessing dat wasn't your recipe for pound cake, Stormy." Remy said in her ear, and they moved forward. He was overstating his limp now, slowing them down and making them assume he was just a cripple. It also helped him keep track of where they were going.
Marie did her best to look passive and non-threatening. If this came down to a fight, she was counting on the men to think she was a weak, defenseless girl. She planned on refraining from revealing her abilities until it was absolutely necessary.
As they turned another corner, Marie began to wonder if they were ever going to reach their final destination. If her sense of direction was accurate, the gunmen were taking extraneous twists and turns in their route. She wondered if they were really leading the group to el-Gibar or just stalling.
It seemed 'Ro was thinking the same thing. After they passed a distinctive, brightly-colored awning a third time, she spoke out harshly to the lead man, causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to look at her. She stared back at him levelly, then jerked her chin at a nondescript door set into the wall. "That is the entrance we should be going into," she said to Remy and Marie. "If they do not take us there, we will have to find our own way in."
"Think dat dey might take issue wit' dat?" Remy looked levelly at the man holding the gun at his back. He was sure that he could take one of the men before he could fire, and Marie was between him and another gunman. But still, he didn't like the odds.
“Most likely, yes," 'Ro said evenly.
Marie did not like the look in the eyes of the man holding a gun on her. She slowed her pace so that he drew closer, then discreetly stepped on her shoelace. Shrugging her shoulders at the gunman, she paused a few steps from the door 'Ro had indicated. Kneeling to tie her shoe, she placed herself in a position where she'd be able to get to two of the gunmen at once. Holding her breath, she waited to see what the gunmen would decide to do.
'Ro looked almost bored as she turned back to the man who had been leading them, pursing her lips before speaking. She motioned once again to the door, clearly requesting just politely enough to be taken to see the old man. The gunman opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Ororo, who demanded, more stridently this time, to be taken the correct way.
There was obvious hesitation on the part of the machine gun-toting men, but eventually the moment passed and they turned as a group towards the door. 'Ro's face was serene, though inside she was quaking, just a little.
Remy went through the doors last, with the gun prodding his back. The house was barely lit, only the fringes of light leaking through to sketch the lines of the rooms and doorways. The man behind him shoved with his gun, and Remy stumbled. There was a moment of chaos as Remy's leg went out under him and he fell, crashing into the man in front of him.
The men tried to move back to get a firing position in case it was an attack, and the two X-Men moved to help him. Ororo's voice carried as she calmed the situation before someone fired, while Marie hauled LeBeau back to his feet. He muttered apologies in Arabic, and slowly the room calmed around them and they continued on their way.
Marie inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and looked with new respect at ‘Ro. Storm was exuding a sense of calm that seemed to be the only thing keeping the current situation under control. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed that there were now more men with guns around them. Just when she was beginning to wonder if they had made a mistake coming here, the three original gunmen halted in front of one of the rooms, gesturing in a way that unmistakably meant to enter.
Ororo strode in first without another glance at them, followed closely by Remy and Marie. A small, polished desk was the largest piece of furniture in the room, though the burly men on either side of the door seemed to take up more room. An old man sat behind the desk, fingers tented as he took in the new arrivals with a scrutinizing gaze. Though his face was lined and wrinkled, his eyes were still sharp, and the amused expression on his face showed that he was probably well aware of their troubles in reaching him.
"I see two familiar faces, and one that is not so familiar, though it is still known to me," he said in English after the three had arranged themselves before the desk. "And I wonder what they are doing here, now, after having gone through such trouble to reach me.”
"I doubt it." Remy snorted. He'd already decided his part in this. He hoped that Ororo was ready for this, because if she didn't pick up on his cues, he was going to be quietly executed out behind this house quickly. "You wouldn't have brought anyone inside dis place, especially not Gambit, wit' out having a good idea what was coming."
el-Gibar raised his bushy eyebrows, looking from Gambit to Ororo and back again to the Cajun. "It is not that I do not have a supposition as to why you are here, but I not one to speculate. And besides, I would never pass up the opportunity to welcome two such highly-regarded thieves into my home, as well as their lovely companion." At this point he looked at Marie, his eyes sliding from her face, downward.
Marie simply kept her gaze locked on el-Gibar, refusing to react to his obvious attempt to evoke a response. She remained silent, recalling what both Remy and ‘Ro had told her about the old man, but then began wondering exactly how much he knew about her.
Remy snapped his fingers in front of the desk and gestured at his eyes. "Up here, homme. We'll get to her soon enough. Unless you've got a tank hidden in de back of dat desk, no more of your gun wielding warriors of de Prophet 'bout to impress me. Where's de mask."
el-Gibar was obviously connected, and Remy was impressed that he'd gotten as far as connecting him up with Gambit. But that meant he'd made that connection, and Gambit's over ten years of sadistic cruelty and wanton murder carried a lot of connitations that el-Gibar wouldn't know didn't apply any longer.
"Remy, please," Ororo said finally, holding up one hand. "There is something to be said for directness, but there is no need for rudeness." She smiled at el-Gibar, giving him a look as if to shrug off Remy's attitude. "We are indeed in search of an artifact – a mask, as Remy has said. Knowing your propensity for gathering information and the fact that you have so many widespread contacts, we knew that if anyone would know of its location, it would be you." She was laying the flattery on thick, but if she was going to be the good cop, she'd have to.
"Ah, but this is Egypt, if you've forgotten. There are many artifacts, many masks here. Valuable to the right collector, or museum. Such a shameful practice, selling out one's own legacy for foreigners to gawk at stupidly. Shameful, but profitable." el-Gibar dissembled, obviously dragging it out.
Profitable was the key word there. The negotiation had started, Remy knew, and was glad to see Ororo nod as well. She'd picked up on the verbal cues. Remy backed off, leaving it to her for the moment. He had a couple of tricks planned, but pushing his obnoxiousness right at this moment would undercut her.
"Yes, of course," Ororo agreed, tilting her head to one side thoughtfully. "I would imagine the reward for being responsible for the return of such an item would be considerable, even more so if there was someone else to retrieve it for you." She hoped that this more than generous offer would convince the old man that it was a good idea to share what he knew, though she wasn't counting on it.
"Ah, of course, while to have the eternal gratitude of the Cairo museum may be remuneration for some, it can buy little in the marketplace. I'm afraid that circumstances force me to be much more practical, for all that I hesitate to leave such a potentially meaningful artifact in the hands of the unworthy."
Marie felt thankful that she did not have to participate in the negotiation. She could appreciate the subtlety that it was going to take to come to a solution and knew that she lacked the required skills to contribute. Taking a few steps back, she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms in front of her.
Remy jerked a thumb at Rogue. "How 'bout de girl den? Twenty, thirty thousand at least on de market, more if you let someone train her up. Throw dat on top of de buyer price on de mask and de reward, and you looking to double up you money." Remy ignored the sudden popeyed expression from Marie, focusing on el-Gibar's eyes instead.
There was discomfort, and he knew his gamble had paid off. Gambit was brash, arrogant and insanely dangerous. That meant el-Gibar was stuck in a corner. He'd have to make an intelligent deal now, or risk putting a highly unstable assassin in the position to have good reason to go to violence. More so, by playing price right over the top, if his reasons were other to keep it from them, the excuse of money was taken away from him.
Say what? Fuming, Marie forced herself to stand still, but couldn’t stop her fists from clenching. She reminded herself that this was just part of the negotiation…Remy couldn’t really intend to offer her to el-Gibar. This was not like things with the Army, she was not going to be in captivity again. She would never let that happen again.
Oh sweet goddess… 'Ro watched as el-Gibar struggled to keep his expression calm, though he had obviously been thrown off-balance by Remy's proposal. "Er, well… I'm sure such an trade will not be necessary, though I appreciate your offer, of course. No offense intended, my dear," he added, glancing at Marie.
"No, what I had in mind was a far fairer exchange – your talents for my knowledge. Assuming I do know where this mask is to be located, before you can put that information to use I would like you to do something for me first. Nothing that will involve violence," he added as 'Ro opened her mouth to voice a protest. "No, I think this will be right up your alley." He chuckled at his own joke, eyeing the three with renewed interest as he waited to see what their reactions would be.
"How did I know?" Remy muttered under his breath. He ignored the utterly poisonous look that Marie had directed his way. Now it was Ororo's show now. He'd driven el-Gibar to the point without the normal endless negotiation. Too long and his price would have been much higher.
el-Gibar’s offer is discussed. Remy and ‘Ro’s debate over their options isn’t the only thing that’s passionate.
“Absolutely not!” Ororo exclaimed, the edge to her voice more than audible now. “This is exactly what I meant when I said I would not be involved in anything illegal. el-Gibar is trying to manipulate us and use us for his own purposes. Remy, you are free to do as you please, but I will not be party to this game.”
"Dat's right. Remy just going to sneak into de guarded compound." LeBeau said sarcastically, pulling a pill bottle from his coat and dry swallowing a couple of tablets. They'd both noticed the alarming frequency in which he performed that particular action. He tossed a set of keys on to the table.
"By de way, dere's de keys to el-Gibar's place. One of de guards carelessly left dem in his pocket."
Ororo eyed the keys, a small part of her wanting to congratulate Remy while the larger part wanted to chastise him for getting them into even more trouble. “I am sorry you are unable to steal the Quran, Remy, but that is no reason for me to do it. Despite your obvious misgivings, that is not why I came here. I helped you get in to speak with el-Gibar, and now that that is over, so is my role.”
Really, what more did he expect? She was no longer an orphaned child desperate to survive on the streets, and her world was far larger than looking to her next meal. Whatever part of her was still attracted to the dangerous, high-stakes life was also the part that she had spent the last half of her life largely ignoring, and she wasn’t about to start again now.
"Look, Stormy, Magneto is your problem. I'd think dat keeping something out of his hands would be reason enough for you and de X-Men to be involved. Because he's not going to be knocking on my door any time soon." Remy said, ignoring Marie in the corner. The girl had obviously decided to back off, settling for making sure Remy knew how much she was angry at him.
"But, oui, you correct. You never agreed to come here to steal a Quran or deal wit' el-Gibar. And since de old bastard won't give up de information for anything other den something dat Remy can't do on his own, den we go to plan two." Remy tapped the keys with his cane. "I get Wisdom and Betts over here, we take el-Gibar, kill anyone in de way, and cut bits off of him until he tells me what I want to know."
This earned a frown from Ororo, who reached out and picked up the keys, holding them in one hand. “If Magneto is my problem, as you say, then why are you so interested in retrieving the mask? I must be honest and tell you that I do not fully understand your motives in this.”
"Because Remy have a vested interest in not seeing everyone at dat school killed. Dere's also two totally innocent people dat are likely going to be found dead once dere usefulness is at an end to dat salope." Remy's look turned dark, and hints of the man he'd once been leaked through. "Besides, Remy owes Lensherr for a few things, and anything dat hurts him is worth a smile to me."
There was a long silence as Ororo stared down at the keys, debating with herself over the right course of action. She didn’t want to steal again, she was done breaking the law, but Remy was right. There were innocent lives at stake – at least two, probably more. Was her peace of mind worth that risk? What was the right thing to do? As an X-Man she saved lives and upheld the law, and now those principles were pitted against each other. She glanced at Marie, knowing that whatever decision she made would also affect her. Could she drag her into this so easily?
“I cannot do it alone,” she said finally, glancing up again at Remy. “If the compound is indeed as heavily guarded as el-Gibar claims, I will need help to infiltrate it.”
"Knew dat you'd come around. Also, turns out dat Remy owes Wisdom ten dollars. Marie is going to be useful after all." Remy grinned evilly.
"Oh, find somewhere ta die slowly, LeBeau." Marie hissed and stalked out of the room.
"I think dat she likes me, eh Stormy? Must be dat, what's de word, sexual chemistry?" Remy shifted the position on his leg and picked up his laptop. "But you right. Dis place is going to be a bitch. Plus, I'm not going to be able to get any where near it. De owner is Adris Masaqaharta al-Sanussi, late of de Libyan military, and one of de more notorious arms dealers in dis end of de world. He made de mistake of selling de explosives dat were used on the USS Cole. I killed two of his sons as a warning from de US. He's not going to let me any where near de place."
“I doubt they will be keen on letting anyone near the place,” Ororo replied. “Stealth will be of the utmost importance. Stealth and a distraction. I am sure if you and Marie stood outside the gates and tried to have a civil conversation it would provide more than enough entertainment for the guards.
’Ro returns to the hotel room late at night to discuss the plan for tomorrow with Marie.
It had taken some time for Ororo and Remy to go over the details of the compound, and even longer still for them to come up with any sort of plan that seemed like it would work. Finally the lateness of the hour caught up with them, and they agreed that they weren't going to have any more epiphanies until morning. Bidding Remy goodnight, 'Ro let herself out of the room and headed down the hallway to the other room where she and Marie were staying. She hoped the girl was there, and that she was up for talking. There was, 'Ro thought, a lot that needed to be said.
Marie had been meditating since her return to her room. She was mad at herself for letting Remy get under her skin and it had taken her a long time to reach a semi-peaceful state. Hearing the door to the room creak open, Marie hastened into a standing position. “Ah’m sorry ‘Ro,” she said with a sigh, casting her eyes down to the ground.
'Ro closed the door quietly, raising her eyebrows as she turned to survey the room. "Why do you apologize, Marie?"
Marie forced herself to make eye contact. “Ah shouldn’t have lost my temper. Ah shoulda stayed around…Ah came along to help and all Ah did was…” act like a five-year-old “…well, not help.”
"Considering the circumstances, I can hardly blame you." 'Ro moved about the room, casting a glance over the beds, the furniture, the curtains. "Remy was trying to provoke you, and I do not blame you for reacting in that manner. It is I that should be apologizing... I should be keeping better control of the situation." She turned and gave Marie a woeful look. "Things are not going exactly as I had hoped they would.'
Marie was surprised that ‘Ro wasn’t chastising her. The last thing she had expected was to have her feelings and reaction validated. Pausing, she reviewed Remy’s behavior towards her during this entire trip. Huh…he has been purposely aggravating me this entire trip. Pushing the thoughts aside, she made a mental note to deal with him later. Right now, there were larger issues at stake – most importantly the unhappy looking woman in front of her. “Ah know. Ah heard you agree to steal the Quran. Are…are you sure?” she asked while placing a gloved hand on ‘Ro’s shoulder.
“Not entirely," 'Ro admitted, shaking her head. "It is just the sort of thing I wished to avoid. I knew... I knew that seeking out el-Gibar would lead to something like this, and still I agreed to do it. My only consolation is that this may lead to the rescue of the two professors who were kidnapped, but that does not change my misgivings." What 'Ro didn't admit was that a small part of her was excited to undertake this theft - old habits died hard, after all. "I cannot blame Remy for this, either. I could have refused."
“Yes an’ no. He always seems to know what to say to corner you into doing what he wants.” Marie sat down on one of the beds, sighing. “Plus, sometimes the greater good outweighs how you get there.”
"Perhaps, sometimes it does. At least, that is what I must keep telling myself." 'Ro smiled tightly down at the girl. "What do you think, Marie? Is this the right choice?"
“Ah don’t know. Does doing a wrong to accomplish good make it right?” Marie said with a plaintive note in her voice. “What Ah do know is that if Magneto wants this mask, even Ah have to agree with Remy that we need to stop him from getting it. So even if Ah’m not sure that this is the right thing to do, Ah do believe it is necessary. What other option do we have?”
"We do not. At least, not one that has a chance of success, as this one does. However small that may be..." Unable to calm down, despite the late hour, 'Ro began to pace back and forth in the small room. "We have put together the beginnings of a plan. It will take some work from all three of us... and it will be dangerous. If you have any objections, Marie, please do not hesitate to voice them. I will always listen, even if Remy does not."
Marie nodded, her expression becoming alert and attentive. “Ah knew there would be danger when Ah volunteered to come along. So Remy and Ah are the distraction – please tell me Ah get to hit him.”
This made 'Ro crack a smile, and she shook her head. "No, unfortunately I think that will have to wait. Your part is much more challenging than that. We are going to fake a suicide run on the compound - and you are driving the truck."
Marie blinked. This was not quite the distraction she had envisioned. Of course, all her plans resulted in a rather unconscious Cajun. “Ah see.” Pursing her lips, she asked, “How long are we gonna have the truck for before Ah need to use it?”
"Not very long... We will have to steal it. We can try to take it earlier, but the longer it is missing, the longer they will have to notice it."
The wheels began to turn in Rogue’s mind. If she had enough time to punch a hole into the bottom of the truck without causing too much structural damage…that would open up more options if things didn’t go as planned. And really, when did things ever go according to plan? “An’ Remy?”
"Remy will be in charge of cutting the power to the house to buy more time. He will not be near you, though I will be watching until I know you are safely away."
“How will you do what you need if you are watching me?” Shaking her head, Marie continued, “Ah can watch after myself.”
"Though we are here unofficially, we are still a team," 'Ro said in a voice that broached no argument. "I can keep the cover up as long as I need it... and once you have done your part, they will not be looking for me at all."
Marie opened her mouth to protest, then stopped, realizing the futility of arguing with ‘Ro. “When is this all gonna happen?” she asked instead.
"Tomorrow evening. It is soon, I know, but if we are to have a chance of rescuing the professors, we must act quickly. Will you be ready then?"
Stifling a yawn, Marie nodded. “Ah’m just glad you didn’t say tonight. Although Ah could be ready now if you needed, Ah think we both need some rest.”
"Mm, yes, perhaps you are right." Not feeling very sleepy, 'Ro sat down on the other bed. "Sleep well, Marie. And thank you for being here."
“You’re welcome. Ah’m glad Ah didn’t let y’ go without me.” Casting one last glance at her companion, Marie settled down into her bed. The month of not sleeping had caught up with her and it was only took a few moments for sleep to claim her once her head hit the pillow. It was as though her body knew to take the opportunity for rest – there would be no such chance tomorrow.
Ororo stared out the front window of the jet, which was now cruising comfortably around 40,000 feet with very little turbulence. It had been a smooth flight thus far, and she wasn't expecting any trouble in the air. Save that for when we land, she thought with a smirk, checking the controls one last time and then cueing the autopilot on. Unfastening her seatbelt, she turned to check on Marie and Remy, who had thus far been rather quiet. Surprisingly so.
"We should reach London in a little over five hours," she informed them, smiling. "After refueling we will then be on our way to Cairo, which will not take too long. It should be a smooth journey."
After the previous night’s events, Marie was relieved that she had already had a reason to leave to the mansion. The excitement over what lay ahead was helping to push the memory of Doug yelling at her out of her mind. Marie had intentionally remained quiet for most of the flight, just performing the necessary tasks and attempting to remain unobtrusive. Doing so had not been easy, as silence was still a little unsettling for her and her companions hadn’t engaged in much idle chit chat. But since she still felt like Remy didn’t want her there, she didn’t want to give him any excuse to try and send her back. Smiling back at ‘Ro, she just nodded in response and resumed her internal reflection.
Remy looked up from his chair, enjoying the comfort of the Frost Industries jet. It wasn’t lavish, but it had been built with functionality in mind, including the office style area at the front of the passenger cabin. Remy had commandeered the long desk space while the two women fussed with controls and preformed the strange take off procedures that Remy was just as happy to let remain a mystery to him.
“Dat’s good. Crashing into de ocean voids our travel insurance.” He said, taking another look through some of the documents he’d brought with him. “Dis plane really needs a stewardess.”
"I am sure that if you asked nice enough, Marie could be convinced to lob some peanuts at you," 'Ro said with a smirk. "Something tells me a jet of this size and expense must have some snacks hidden somewhere. Though perhaps we shouldn't go poking around too much."
Marie removed her seatbelt and headed to her carryon bag. “Ah needed an excuse to stretch my legs anyways.” Rifling through it for a few seconds, she pulled out a few granola bars. “Ah learned to always travel with food when Ah was younger…never knew when Ah wouldn’t be able to find some,” she explained. “But for drinks, you’re on your own…Ah like being alive and have no desire to piss Emma off by stumbling across something Ah shouldn’t see.” Tossing one to ‘Ro, she hesitated before deciding to walk over and hand one to Remy instead of throwing it to him.
"Where as Remy, on de other hand, more den happy to piss Emma off. After dat brownstone, she got it coming." Remy said, accepted the granola bar and munching on it while he awkwardly limped over to the back of the jet and started opening up doors. After a few minutes of muffled muttering, and something that sounded suspiciously like a bottle breaking, he hobbled back. His journey had yielded a couple of cans of Coca-Cola, two bottles of water, a dish of ice, and several mini liquor bottles.
"I'd offer but you both driving." Remy said as he dumped the stash into one of the chairs, keeping only the ice and the small bottles of bourbon. He sat back down carefully, poured his drink into a tumbler, and pulled out a couple of packages to hand to them. "Had dese made up before I left. It's all de information dat we've been able to put together so far. Unfortunately, dere's almost nothing new for us."
'Ro retrieved a bottle of water from the seat and took a package from Remy, slipping back into her seat. She opened the folder, spreading it as best she could against the arm of the seat, glancing over it. As Remy had said, it was mostly information she had seen before; not exactly heartening. "Somehow the fact that el-Gibar is our best lead makes me think this is going to be harder than we want it to be." Unscrewing the top from her water, she took a sip, appreciating the liquid in the rather parched environment of the cockpit. "I take it he does not know we are coming?"
"Unless you called ahead, non. I think it's better to spring us on de old batard. He might let something slip if he's off balance." Remy didn't bother to add his opinion on the likelihood of that. He took a sip from the glass and continued. "Most of dis has come from either Jake's sources or de Thieves Guild in New Orleans, so even if they're looking for someone poking around, there's nothing to link it to us directly."
Remy pulled out a sheet from the package and tapped it. "Emergency procedures. If one of us comes down wit' a sudden case of bullet induced death, this is how we get out. De plane will be compromised in that event. Commit de phone numbers on here to memory. If something happens, get out and find some where dat you can hole up for twenty minutes. Call any of dis, and it will activate a network to get you out of de immediate area quietly. If one of you gets killed, Remy sure de Professor not ever let him live it down."
Marie leafed through the papers in the package, committing the numbers and material to memory while listening to ‘Ro and Remy. She still felt like she was playing catch up since she was missing the connection to this world that both of them had. Settling back into her seat, she turned so she could watch both her companions. “So we’re just gonna show up on this el-Gibar’s doorstep?”
"Well, it's less a doorstep, more a... well, a tunnel," 'Ro said consideringly. "If we can get there, I am sure he will at least speak to us. Whether he will tell us what we want to know is another thing altogether. It would be better if we had something offer him, but unless you have something up your sleeve, Remy, he may laugh in our faces."
"He might, but I doubt it. I'm willing to bet even money dat he's been keeping tabs on you, Stormy. Dat means he'll at least have an inkling of what you're into dese days." Remy took another sip. "Despite my recent infirmaty, de name 'Gambit' still carries some associations wit' it. If he knows something, I think dat he going to be willing to barter for it. There'll be something dat he wants."
Marie raised her eyebrow at the mention of a tunnel, looking carefully at ‘Ro, but not voicing her concern. Shifting her gaze to Remy, she asked, “But what do we have to offer? Or should Ah say, that we're willing to offer?”
"Information is de normal coin of dis types of deals. If he's gone soft in de head, he might ask for money. It really doesn't matter." Remy flipped a couple of pages. "If it comes down to it, el-Gibar knows dat Gambit can leave him breathing through a machine in seconds if I need to. So either he stonewalls and doesn't talk to us at all, tries to kill us off the bat, or brings us in wit' something in mind. If we talk to him, he'll already have a price worked out."
"The information is entirely your field, Remy," Ororo said after a pause. "I have nothing of that nature to offer him, nor would I care to even if I did." She turned to Marie, her expression serious. "El-Gibar is a scheming man, and he will not hesitate to try and manipulate us. We must be careful, and be sure to watch what we say around him. I am sure Remy is aware of that, as well."
“Ah understand…don’t see that there’d be much reason for me t’ be talking anyways. This is y’all’s show.” Rogue continued studying the information, not wanting to let even the smallest detail get past her.
"De question, of course, is how important finding out what Magneto's up to, if it is him involved, is to you X-Men, Stormy. Dere's a chance dat if el-Gibar wants something, it's going to be something dat we normally don't want to give him." Remy leaned back in his chair and peered over the rim of the glass. "Dere's 'bout five hours for you to think 'bout dat."
"Thank you," Ororo said a bit tightly, pursing her lips as her eyes wandered over the papers in front of her. "I can tell you now that I will be keeping my actions entirely in the perfectly-legal realm; I have lived on the other side of the law before and I have no desire to begin that again. I will do my best to help, but not at the expense of the life I have built for myself. I cannot think of a clearer way to state my intentions."
And Marie had thought she would be the only source of interpersonal tension on this trip. Her eyes covertly darted from ‘Ro to Remy and back to ‘Ro. Something was going on there and suddenly her decision to remain quiet and inconspicuous on this trip was looking very attractive. Making every effort to appear studiously engaged in the file in her lap, she pondered what Remy was implying they may need to do.
"Stormy, whatever you might think, you living on de other side of de law now. You just happen to be useful vigilantes to dem at dis point." Remy grinned. One of the things that had always baffled him about the mansion was the idea that despite no legal authority to interfere, owning military grade hardware, a machine in the basement that could be classified the biggest WMD in history, and a sizable record in property damage, as far as he can tell most of the X-Men seemed to think what they did was legal.
"However, dat is an argument for 'nother time. Dis is de reality. We have no idea if el-Gibar knows anything. If he does, we have no idea what he'll want for it. All because de Professor's old golfing buddy happens to want a mask older den Jesus. Maybe it's just art appreciation. Or maybe de mask is part of something bigger." Remy finished his drink and set the glass carefully on the desk. "Either way, I think de fact dat magnetic salope wants it is enough reason for me to keep it from him. If it is something more, Remy pretty sure I know who's address he's more likely to show up at to use it against. You figure out how important dat is to de both of you."
Remy held up his cane and tapped it on the side of his chair. "Because maman LeBeau's favourite son seems to be down to harsh language and thumping dem 'tween de eyes in his arsenal."
'Ro bit down several less-than-pleasant replies, merely smiling slightly as she took a sip of water. Remy always seemed to enjoy pointing out the things she tried not to think about. Which would not be so bad, if he was not so good at it. "You need never fear for your safety, Remy. Marie and I will take good care of you," she added with a smirk. "And I am sure when the moment comes, we will know exactly what to do."
Marie’s expression remained stoic, despite the inward desire to giggle as she pictured rescuing Remy by tossing him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Forcing herself back from that rather satisfying daydream, she focused on the rest of what had been said. “Ah’m sure we will all do what needs to be done, whatever that may be.” Which we will determine on our own, not by you telling us.
"Can't tell you what a warm, happy feeling dat it gives Remy." LeBeau settled back and poured himself another drink. "You do what you need to do, and Remy do what I need to do. Which is to take a nap. Wake me up before we crash, neh?" Remy grinned as he kicked up his foot and closed his eyes.
Remy, Marie and Ororo take a stroll through the market and receive a very thoughtful escort to el-Gibar's headquarters. They have a nice talk involving veiled threats and a lot of posturing, and Remy shows off his superior bargaining skills by offering to sell Marie to sweeten the deal.
Cairo seethed in the mid-afternoon heat. They'd landed in the morning, just as the first of the oppressive heat began to take over the streets. True to her word, the Frost Industries plane was given preferential placement in the landing queue, and their passports and baggage were treated to no more than a cursory glance from the officials. They'd quietly left the airport in a rental car, and ended up in the Agouza district around noon.
Marie's questions about looking around were quickly ended by both Ororo and Remy, who were not strangers to this part of the world, and saw them installed into a local resturaunt at the edge of the warren of streets. After a long lunch of mulukhia, eesh-baladi, koshari, and hamam mashwi, they finally ventured out into the district after the worst of the noon day sun.
Distracted by the sights and sounds of the district, Marie struggled to keep up with ‘Ro and Remy. She was truly fascinated by her surroundings and made a resolution to herself to actually travel for pleasure one of these days. As her companions rounded a corner, she hurried so as not to lose them.
'Ro had been mostly quiet since they had arrived, though she had done most of the ordering for their meal, though Remy's accent wasn't quite as bad as he had made it out to be. With a pair of sunglasses on and a large, wide-brimmed hat on, she looked just like any other tourist, though perhaps her skin tone blended in a bit better.
Glancing around to orient herself in the twisting streets, she paused just a moment before indicating a particularly narrow sidestreet. "That way," she murmured, just loud enough for Remy and Marie to hear her.
Remy turned down with them, limping along a few paces behind. It was over five years since he was last in Cairo, and his Arabic was a lot rustier than he'd remembered. His eyes flickered over the street, watching for trouble. His spatial sense had been all but ruined by the damage to his right eye, and he regretted it in this situation. This was a place that trouble would give them little warning.
"Remy going to guess dat el-Gibar got eyes all over dis place, neh?" Remy said to Ororo, seeing at least two people watching them with undue interest from a tiny cafe and a market stall.
"Yes, I am sure our presence has not gone unnoticed. If we are lucky-" though it wasn't exactly how Ororo would define 'lucky', "we will be spared the difficulty of finding him as his agents will bring us to him."
Marie was anxious for whatever was going to happen to just happen already. Whether they found el-Gibar or he found them, she was just ready for the ball to start rolling. After a quick look around, she quickened her pace. “Shouldn’t be much longer, from the look of things.”
"What makes you say-" Remy followed Marie's look down the street, which had suddenly emptied of everyone but three men armed with machine guns. While most of Cairo was heavily Westernized, this area still took it's cue from the souks of history, and these men in the narrow streets would not bring any assistance from police.
Remy sighed and settled leaning on his cane. "If dey ask for our invitations, remember to smile before you say non."
'Ro removed her sunglasses and tucked them into her pocket, straightening up as the three men approached in a triangular formation. The two in the back looked nervous, and she thought she recognized the one on the left from a long time ago. She waited until they were near, then spoke a few words in Arabic. The man in the front answered gruffly, and 'Ro tentatively turned her head towards Remy and Marie. "He wishes to know if we have particular business in this area. I believe they will escort us to el-Gibar if we are careful.”
At the mention of el-Gibar's name the men stirred, lifting their guns slightly and stepping towards the three. "But we must tell them soon, or leave."
Marie stiffened, waiting for Remy to take the lead. I wish I understood Arabic. She kept a close watch on the body language of the three men, hoping she would get enough warning to react if they got impatient and decided to shoot first and ask questions later.
"Merde." Remy muttered, waiting for Ororo to speak and seeing her not. She wasn't one to normally hold back, as a teacher, an X-Men; Remy mentally reassessed her operational state. Maybe she'd been too long out of this world to be comfortable dipping back into it.
"el-Gibar is waiting for us." Remy said in good, if slightly toneless Arabic. He was gambling that the old man was looking for them. If not, then both Marie and Ororo had better have trained in defense scenarios against three gunmen.
The lead gunman eyed Remy, then Ororo and Marie, speaking quickly to the other two men. Whether or not el-Gibar actually was looking for them, no one would be the wiser if the three mutants never made it to see him. They seemed about ready to heft their guns to take care of the problem when 'Ro held up her hand, once again speaking to them. It was too accented for the other two to follow, but there was definite mention of her own name, along with el-Gibar's.
The gunmen's faces looked no less unwelcoming, but after Ororo finished speaking they grudgingly turned, motioning for Remy, Marie and Ororo to follow one man as the other two guarded them from behind. Ororo's expression was unreadable as she stepped after them, looking less and less like a tourist now.
"Guessing dat wasn't your recipe for pound cake, Stormy." Remy said in her ear, and they moved forward. He was overstating his limp now, slowing them down and making them assume he was just a cripple. It also helped him keep track of where they were going.
Marie did her best to look passive and non-threatening. If this came down to a fight, she was counting on the men to think she was a weak, defenseless girl. She planned on refraining from revealing her abilities until it was absolutely necessary.
As they turned another corner, Marie began to wonder if they were ever going to reach their final destination. If her sense of direction was accurate, the gunmen were taking extraneous twists and turns in their route. She wondered if they were really leading the group to el-Gibar or just stalling.
It seemed 'Ro was thinking the same thing. After they passed a distinctive, brightly-colored awning a third time, she spoke out harshly to the lead man, causing him to stop in his tracks and turn to look at her. She stared back at him levelly, then jerked her chin at a nondescript door set into the wall. "That is the entrance we should be going into," she said to Remy and Marie. "If they do not take us there, we will have to find our own way in."
"Think dat dey might take issue wit' dat?" Remy looked levelly at the man holding the gun at his back. He was sure that he could take one of the men before he could fire, and Marie was between him and another gunman. But still, he didn't like the odds.
“Most likely, yes," 'Ro said evenly.
Marie did not like the look in the eyes of the man holding a gun on her. She slowed her pace so that he drew closer, then discreetly stepped on her shoelace. Shrugging her shoulders at the gunman, she paused a few steps from the door 'Ro had indicated. Kneeling to tie her shoe, she placed herself in a position where she'd be able to get to two of the gunmen at once. Holding her breath, she waited to see what the gunmen would decide to do.
'Ro looked almost bored as she turned back to the man who had been leading them, pursing her lips before speaking. She motioned once again to the door, clearly requesting just politely enough to be taken to see the old man. The gunman opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Ororo, who demanded, more stridently this time, to be taken the correct way.
There was obvious hesitation on the part of the machine gun-toting men, but eventually the moment passed and they turned as a group towards the door. 'Ro's face was serene, though inside she was quaking, just a little.
Remy went through the doors last, with the gun prodding his back. The house was barely lit, only the fringes of light leaking through to sketch the lines of the rooms and doorways. The man behind him shoved with his gun, and Remy stumbled. There was a moment of chaos as Remy's leg went out under him and he fell, crashing into the man in front of him.
The men tried to move back to get a firing position in case it was an attack, and the two X-Men moved to help him. Ororo's voice carried as she calmed the situation before someone fired, while Marie hauled LeBeau back to his feet. He muttered apologies in Arabic, and slowly the room calmed around them and they continued on their way.
Marie inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and looked with new respect at ‘Ro. Storm was exuding a sense of calm that seemed to be the only thing keeping the current situation under control. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed that there were now more men with guns around them. Just when she was beginning to wonder if they had made a mistake coming here, the three original gunmen halted in front of one of the rooms, gesturing in a way that unmistakably meant to enter.
Ororo strode in first without another glance at them, followed closely by Remy and Marie. A small, polished desk was the largest piece of furniture in the room, though the burly men on either side of the door seemed to take up more room. An old man sat behind the desk, fingers tented as he took in the new arrivals with a scrutinizing gaze. Though his face was lined and wrinkled, his eyes were still sharp, and the amused expression on his face showed that he was probably well aware of their troubles in reaching him.
"I see two familiar faces, and one that is not so familiar, though it is still known to me," he said in English after the three had arranged themselves before the desk. "And I wonder what they are doing here, now, after having gone through such trouble to reach me.”
"I doubt it." Remy snorted. He'd already decided his part in this. He hoped that Ororo was ready for this, because if she didn't pick up on his cues, he was going to be quietly executed out behind this house quickly. "You wouldn't have brought anyone inside dis place, especially not Gambit, wit' out having a good idea what was coming."
el-Gibar raised his bushy eyebrows, looking from Gambit to Ororo and back again to the Cajun. "It is not that I do not have a supposition as to why you are here, but I not one to speculate. And besides, I would never pass up the opportunity to welcome two such highly-regarded thieves into my home, as well as their lovely companion." At this point he looked at Marie, his eyes sliding from her face, downward.
Marie simply kept her gaze locked on el-Gibar, refusing to react to his obvious attempt to evoke a response. She remained silent, recalling what both Remy and ‘Ro had told her about the old man, but then began wondering exactly how much he knew about her.
Remy snapped his fingers in front of the desk and gestured at his eyes. "Up here, homme. We'll get to her soon enough. Unless you've got a tank hidden in de back of dat desk, no more of your gun wielding warriors of de Prophet 'bout to impress me. Where's de mask."
el-Gibar was obviously connected, and Remy was impressed that he'd gotten as far as connecting him up with Gambit. But that meant he'd made that connection, and Gambit's over ten years of sadistic cruelty and wanton murder carried a lot of connitations that el-Gibar wouldn't know didn't apply any longer.
"Remy, please," Ororo said finally, holding up one hand. "There is something to be said for directness, but there is no need for rudeness." She smiled at el-Gibar, giving him a look as if to shrug off Remy's attitude. "We are indeed in search of an artifact – a mask, as Remy has said. Knowing your propensity for gathering information and the fact that you have so many widespread contacts, we knew that if anyone would know of its location, it would be you." She was laying the flattery on thick, but if she was going to be the good cop, she'd have to.
"Ah, but this is Egypt, if you've forgotten. There are many artifacts, many masks here. Valuable to the right collector, or museum. Such a shameful practice, selling out one's own legacy for foreigners to gawk at stupidly. Shameful, but profitable." el-Gibar dissembled, obviously dragging it out.
Profitable was the key word there. The negotiation had started, Remy knew, and was glad to see Ororo nod as well. She'd picked up on the verbal cues. Remy backed off, leaving it to her for the moment. He had a couple of tricks planned, but pushing his obnoxiousness right at this moment would undercut her.
"Yes, of course," Ororo agreed, tilting her head to one side thoughtfully. "I would imagine the reward for being responsible for the return of such an item would be considerable, even more so if there was someone else to retrieve it for you." She hoped that this more than generous offer would convince the old man that it was a good idea to share what he knew, though she wasn't counting on it.
"Ah, of course, while to have the eternal gratitude of the Cairo museum may be remuneration for some, it can buy little in the marketplace. I'm afraid that circumstances force me to be much more practical, for all that I hesitate to leave such a potentially meaningful artifact in the hands of the unworthy."
Marie felt thankful that she did not have to participate in the negotiation. She could appreciate the subtlety that it was going to take to come to a solution and knew that she lacked the required skills to contribute. Taking a few steps back, she leaned against the wall and crossed her arms in front of her.
Remy jerked a thumb at Rogue. "How 'bout de girl den? Twenty, thirty thousand at least on de market, more if you let someone train her up. Throw dat on top of de buyer price on de mask and de reward, and you looking to double up you money." Remy ignored the sudden popeyed expression from Marie, focusing on el-Gibar's eyes instead.
There was discomfort, and he knew his gamble had paid off. Gambit was brash, arrogant and insanely dangerous. That meant el-Gibar was stuck in a corner. He'd have to make an intelligent deal now, or risk putting a highly unstable assassin in the position to have good reason to go to violence. More so, by playing price right over the top, if his reasons were other to keep it from them, the excuse of money was taken away from him.
Say what? Fuming, Marie forced herself to stand still, but couldn’t stop her fists from clenching. She reminded herself that this was just part of the negotiation…Remy couldn’t really intend to offer her to el-Gibar. This was not like things with the Army, she was not going to be in captivity again. She would never let that happen again.
Oh sweet goddess… 'Ro watched as el-Gibar struggled to keep his expression calm, though he had obviously been thrown off-balance by Remy's proposal. "Er, well… I'm sure such an trade will not be necessary, though I appreciate your offer, of course. No offense intended, my dear," he added, glancing at Marie.
"No, what I had in mind was a far fairer exchange – your talents for my knowledge. Assuming I do know where this mask is to be located, before you can put that information to use I would like you to do something for me first. Nothing that will involve violence," he added as 'Ro opened her mouth to voice a protest. "No, I think this will be right up your alley." He chuckled at his own joke, eyeing the three with renewed interest as he waited to see what their reactions would be.
"How did I know?" Remy muttered under his breath. He ignored the utterly poisonous look that Marie had directed his way. Now it was Ororo's show now. He'd driven el-Gibar to the point without the normal endless negotiation. Too long and his price would have been much higher.
el-Gibar’s offer is discussed. Remy and ‘Ro’s debate over their options isn’t the only thing that’s passionate.
“Absolutely not!” Ororo exclaimed, the edge to her voice more than audible now. “This is exactly what I meant when I said I would not be involved in anything illegal. el-Gibar is trying to manipulate us and use us for his own purposes. Remy, you are free to do as you please, but I will not be party to this game.”
"Dat's right. Remy just going to sneak into de guarded compound." LeBeau said sarcastically, pulling a pill bottle from his coat and dry swallowing a couple of tablets. They'd both noticed the alarming frequency in which he performed that particular action. He tossed a set of keys on to the table.
"By de way, dere's de keys to el-Gibar's place. One of de guards carelessly left dem in his pocket."
Ororo eyed the keys, a small part of her wanting to congratulate Remy while the larger part wanted to chastise him for getting them into even more trouble. “I am sorry you are unable to steal the Quran, Remy, but that is no reason for me to do it. Despite your obvious misgivings, that is not why I came here. I helped you get in to speak with el-Gibar, and now that that is over, so is my role.”
Really, what more did he expect? She was no longer an orphaned child desperate to survive on the streets, and her world was far larger than looking to her next meal. Whatever part of her was still attracted to the dangerous, high-stakes life was also the part that she had spent the last half of her life largely ignoring, and she wasn’t about to start again now.
"Look, Stormy, Magneto is your problem. I'd think dat keeping something out of his hands would be reason enough for you and de X-Men to be involved. Because he's not going to be knocking on my door any time soon." Remy said, ignoring Marie in the corner. The girl had obviously decided to back off, settling for making sure Remy knew how much she was angry at him.
"But, oui, you correct. You never agreed to come here to steal a Quran or deal wit' el-Gibar. And since de old bastard won't give up de information for anything other den something dat Remy can't do on his own, den we go to plan two." Remy tapped the keys with his cane. "I get Wisdom and Betts over here, we take el-Gibar, kill anyone in de way, and cut bits off of him until he tells me what I want to know."
This earned a frown from Ororo, who reached out and picked up the keys, holding them in one hand. “If Magneto is my problem, as you say, then why are you so interested in retrieving the mask? I must be honest and tell you that I do not fully understand your motives in this.”
"Because Remy have a vested interest in not seeing everyone at dat school killed. Dere's also two totally innocent people dat are likely going to be found dead once dere usefulness is at an end to dat salope." Remy's look turned dark, and hints of the man he'd once been leaked through. "Besides, Remy owes Lensherr for a few things, and anything dat hurts him is worth a smile to me."
There was a long silence as Ororo stared down at the keys, debating with herself over the right course of action. She didn’t want to steal again, she was done breaking the law, but Remy was right. There were innocent lives at stake – at least two, probably more. Was her peace of mind worth that risk? What was the right thing to do? As an X-Man she saved lives and upheld the law, and now those principles were pitted against each other. She glanced at Marie, knowing that whatever decision she made would also affect her. Could she drag her into this so easily?
“I cannot do it alone,” she said finally, glancing up again at Remy. “If the compound is indeed as heavily guarded as el-Gibar claims, I will need help to infiltrate it.”
"Knew dat you'd come around. Also, turns out dat Remy owes Wisdom ten dollars. Marie is going to be useful after all." Remy grinned evilly.
"Oh, find somewhere ta die slowly, LeBeau." Marie hissed and stalked out of the room.
"I think dat she likes me, eh Stormy? Must be dat, what's de word, sexual chemistry?" Remy shifted the position on his leg and picked up his laptop. "But you right. Dis place is going to be a bitch. Plus, I'm not going to be able to get any where near it. De owner is Adris Masaqaharta al-Sanussi, late of de Libyan military, and one of de more notorious arms dealers in dis end of de world. He made de mistake of selling de explosives dat were used on the USS Cole. I killed two of his sons as a warning from de US. He's not going to let me any where near de place."
“I doubt they will be keen on letting anyone near the place,” Ororo replied. “Stealth will be of the utmost importance. Stealth and a distraction. I am sure if you and Marie stood outside the gates and tried to have a civil conversation it would provide more than enough entertainment for the guards.
’Ro returns to the hotel room late at night to discuss the plan for tomorrow with Marie.
It had taken some time for Ororo and Remy to go over the details of the compound, and even longer still for them to come up with any sort of plan that seemed like it would work. Finally the lateness of the hour caught up with them, and they agreed that they weren't going to have any more epiphanies until morning. Bidding Remy goodnight, 'Ro let herself out of the room and headed down the hallway to the other room where she and Marie were staying. She hoped the girl was there, and that she was up for talking. There was, 'Ro thought, a lot that needed to be said.
Marie had been meditating since her return to her room. She was mad at herself for letting Remy get under her skin and it had taken her a long time to reach a semi-peaceful state. Hearing the door to the room creak open, Marie hastened into a standing position. “Ah’m sorry ‘Ro,” she said with a sigh, casting her eyes down to the ground.
'Ro closed the door quietly, raising her eyebrows as she turned to survey the room. "Why do you apologize, Marie?"
Marie forced herself to make eye contact. “Ah shouldn’t have lost my temper. Ah shoulda stayed around…Ah came along to help and all Ah did was…” act like a five-year-old “…well, not help.”
"Considering the circumstances, I can hardly blame you." 'Ro moved about the room, casting a glance over the beds, the furniture, the curtains. "Remy was trying to provoke you, and I do not blame you for reacting in that manner. It is I that should be apologizing... I should be keeping better control of the situation." She turned and gave Marie a woeful look. "Things are not going exactly as I had hoped they would.'
Marie was surprised that ‘Ro wasn’t chastising her. The last thing she had expected was to have her feelings and reaction validated. Pausing, she reviewed Remy’s behavior towards her during this entire trip. Huh…he has been purposely aggravating me this entire trip. Pushing the thoughts aside, she made a mental note to deal with him later. Right now, there were larger issues at stake – most importantly the unhappy looking woman in front of her. “Ah know. Ah heard you agree to steal the Quran. Are…are you sure?” she asked while placing a gloved hand on ‘Ro’s shoulder.
“Not entirely," 'Ro admitted, shaking her head. "It is just the sort of thing I wished to avoid. I knew... I knew that seeking out el-Gibar would lead to something like this, and still I agreed to do it. My only consolation is that this may lead to the rescue of the two professors who were kidnapped, but that does not change my misgivings." What 'Ro didn't admit was that a small part of her was excited to undertake this theft - old habits died hard, after all. "I cannot blame Remy for this, either. I could have refused."
“Yes an’ no. He always seems to know what to say to corner you into doing what he wants.” Marie sat down on one of the beds, sighing. “Plus, sometimes the greater good outweighs how you get there.”
"Perhaps, sometimes it does. At least, that is what I must keep telling myself." 'Ro smiled tightly down at the girl. "What do you think, Marie? Is this the right choice?"
“Ah don’t know. Does doing a wrong to accomplish good make it right?” Marie said with a plaintive note in her voice. “What Ah do know is that if Magneto wants this mask, even Ah have to agree with Remy that we need to stop him from getting it. So even if Ah’m not sure that this is the right thing to do, Ah do believe it is necessary. What other option do we have?”
"We do not. At least, not one that has a chance of success, as this one does. However small that may be..." Unable to calm down, despite the late hour, 'Ro began to pace back and forth in the small room. "We have put together the beginnings of a plan. It will take some work from all three of us... and it will be dangerous. If you have any objections, Marie, please do not hesitate to voice them. I will always listen, even if Remy does not."
Marie nodded, her expression becoming alert and attentive. “Ah knew there would be danger when Ah volunteered to come along. So Remy and Ah are the distraction – please tell me Ah get to hit him.”
This made 'Ro crack a smile, and she shook her head. "No, unfortunately I think that will have to wait. Your part is much more challenging than that. We are going to fake a suicide run on the compound - and you are driving the truck."
Marie blinked. This was not quite the distraction she had envisioned. Of course, all her plans resulted in a rather unconscious Cajun. “Ah see.” Pursing her lips, she asked, “How long are we gonna have the truck for before Ah need to use it?”
"Not very long... We will have to steal it. We can try to take it earlier, but the longer it is missing, the longer they will have to notice it."
The wheels began to turn in Rogue’s mind. If she had enough time to punch a hole into the bottom of the truck without causing too much structural damage…that would open up more options if things didn’t go as planned. And really, when did things ever go according to plan? “An’ Remy?”
"Remy will be in charge of cutting the power to the house to buy more time. He will not be near you, though I will be watching until I know you are safely away."
“How will you do what you need if you are watching me?” Shaking her head, Marie continued, “Ah can watch after myself.”
"Though we are here unofficially, we are still a team," 'Ro said in a voice that broached no argument. "I can keep the cover up as long as I need it... and once you have done your part, they will not be looking for me at all."
Marie opened her mouth to protest, then stopped, realizing the futility of arguing with ‘Ro. “When is this all gonna happen?” she asked instead.
"Tomorrow evening. It is soon, I know, but if we are to have a chance of rescuing the professors, we must act quickly. Will you be ready then?"
Stifling a yawn, Marie nodded. “Ah’m just glad you didn’t say tonight. Although Ah could be ready now if you needed, Ah think we both need some rest.”
"Mm, yes, perhaps you are right." Not feeling very sleepy, 'Ro sat down on the other bed. "Sleep well, Marie. And thank you for being here."
“You’re welcome. Ah’m glad Ah didn’t let y’ go without me.” Casting one last glance at her companion, Marie settled down into her bed. The month of not sleeping had caught up with her and it was only took a few moments for sleep to claim her once her head hit the pillow. It was as though her body knew to take the opportunity for rest – there would be no such chance tomorrow.