Wanted: Captain Remy LeBeau

Logan lunged at two of three soldiers that had boarded the ship and headed for Remy's quarters. As they stopped and turned around to face him, he extended his claws and buried them, one fist to each, in their ribcages. Growling loudly, he stood up and stared at the two bodies that lay not far from the door, and was struck in the back by a sword. Sighing under his breath and anger, he turned to see the third soldier take another swing at him. Logan's patience was short already as he "stretched his muscles" before ending the toying with the soldier and sliced his sword off at the handle.

The look on the soldier's face was of absolute fright as he fumbled for the pistol in his belt. Shakily, he pointed it at Logan and squeezed the trigger as Logan's right hand sliced off the barrel. The man had aged from a 29 year old man to an old man, in an instant. He swallowed and opened his mouth again to let out a scream as he turned and met his fate on the blade of another soldier that had ran through crowd, behind him.

Tristan looked over at the scene from a few feet away and only smiled and shook his head at Logan's ended fun. Catching Logan's eye, they shrugged to one another before moving closer to chat while fighting more and more soldiers that came aboard. "Where's the girl?"

"With the Captain! Figured she'd be safer with him."

Tristan laughed as he dueled with a young Lieutenant. "Which is the wolf, and which is the sheep?"

"If Carlington wants the girl, he's gonna have to go through the whole damned ship before he gets her."

Another canonball hit and shook the deck as it crashed through an empty spot and landed in a crate of watermelons. The Prestige had gained considerable ground in such a short time and had proved that with the firepower. As another ball crashed through the railing and rolled across the floor to fall off the other end, more and more soldiers came over to the Gambler's Spice to meet their oponents.

~~~~~~~~~~

Rogue screamed in horror at the sounds of outside, still clutching Remy's shirt. Her eyes wrenched shut and her fists turned white as she refused to let Remy go. "He's gonna kill us all!"

"I think that's the point, cherie." Remy wrapped his arms around her as another crash came from outside the door. His thoughts went to Logan and Tristan, in hopes they were all right. He laughed a little as she continued to hold him close, "won't let nothin' happen to ya, girl. Don't you worry."

Rogue looked up at him, loosening her grip. She stared at his kind and gentle face that glowed in the lamplight. "Why did you have to be a pirate? He'd leave you alone, if you just go away. Wouldn't he?"

"Not dat simple, petite."

"Why not?" Rogue pushed away from him and stood up to step back. "Why can't you just leave, and never come back?"

Remy thought for a minute. Carlington had wanted him very badly, and was not about to let Remy just hand over his daughter and sail away into the night. Remy wasn't exactly sure about the immediate reason that Carlington had ever wanted to kill him, he just knew that the Duke hadn't been too impressed to learn that a young pirate captain had been harassing his port. "Poppa said dat de Duke wanted Remy's momma, a long long time ago. Remy's tried to leave, cherie, but yo'r poppa not gonna let him do it." Inhaling as the young woman pulled away in anger, Remy readied himself for argument.

"That ain't true!"

Remy only nodded.

Another crash on the door sent Rogue running back into his open arms and screaming for the banging to stop. The noise outside continued and Rogue found herself being pulled apart by her mind as it tried to make sense of what he had said. She held tighter and tighter to him until she was practically choking him. Finally, an idea came into her head that might have been a little ill-timed, "take me with you." Loosening her grip and looking up into his eyes, she shuddered.

Remy's expression grew wide. "What?"

"Take me with you. Ah could be a servant girl or something. With me on board, he'll leave you alone. If Ah stay with him, Ah'll never have a life. Please!" Rogue pleaded with the pirate but could not predict what he would say. Staring into his eyes, she could tell that he was at least thinking about what she offered. Tears formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks as Remy opened his mouth to answer.

Searching the young woman's eyes and feelings, Remy thought long and hard about the words he spoke, "Non. If you come wit' me, he'll never leave us alone, cherie. He's here because he t'inks dat you're in danger. He's tryin' to keep you safe from de riff raff."

Rogue wiped at her eyes with gloved fingers. "Don't you see? If Ah stay there, Ah'm as good as a prisoner anywhere. Ah can't touch anyone, can't hold them, can't lay in bed and make love to them. Ah feel useless there. Please, Remy!" Her eyes averted as she voiced her sorrow. Fighting back the sobs, the noise behind her seemed to fall silent as she waited his conclusion.

"Petite, you belong wit' your poppa, just like Remy belong on de sea." Remy held her sternly by the arms and forced her to look at him. Filles on de ship,.... s' bad luck." He could feel her pain rising like bile in his throat, and it was becoming impossible to clear out.

Sobbing and wiping at her eyes, Rogue stared at him and asked, "then why is that other woman on this ship? Why can she stay but Ah have to go?"

Remy remembered that Storm was allowed to stay on the ship though she had become the enemy. He sighed heavily and flinched away. "Stormy's a different story. She was raised on de seas, an' comes in handy when de seas get rough." He softened and tried to comfort the now distraught girl. "You belong someplace safe, where you can grow up an' meet de man of your dreams. Remy's no one like dat, cherie."

"How would you know what Ah'm lookin for? Why would you even care about what Ah want outta life?" Rogue tried and failed to struggle out of his grip but, fell silent as Remy wouldn't let go.

"Dat ain't fair."

"Fair? Fair? Ah was thirteen years old when mah powers came to me." Reaching out to hold her hand out for a striking position, her wrist was grabbed before she swung.

Remy held her wrist but not too tightly. "Little girl, lemme tell you somethin. You t'ink dat Remy changed when he turn whatever age? Non. Remy been like dis since he was born. Why you t'ink dat is, cherie? Huh?" Pulling her closer, Remy glared at her, concealing a smile at her fear of him. "My momma had somethin wrong wit' her. Momma was a special fille dat your poppa wanted. Den, she get sick and on her deathbed, she tell my poppa everyt'ing. Your poppa say dat my poppa kill her, but dat's a lie."

~~~~~~~~~~

Elijah Tatrum stared at the movement on the Gambler's Spice and had decided that he would make his move on the man he hated. It had been too long that he had not had his fair share of the action, and he was not about to sit back and let the mindless zombies of a crew take all the excitement for themselves. Making his way to a dingy, he ordered the few remaining men to row him over to the other ship. "Get a move on," he barked when no one moved and had only blinked at his sitting down in the boat.

Ten men rowing and it was still taking forever to cross the small gap that was between the Prestige and the Gambler's Spice. The waters were becoming unsettled and red with the blood of soldier and pirate alike. Small waves had started to rock the boat and thrust against the oars the men held tightly to.

A cruel smile on Tatrum's face was the first thing Tristain could see from the starboard rail. The rabid eyes were next, and then the sword that itched to have the color red dripping from it. "Finally come out of your mousehole, eh, Tatrum? Or, does the cat not know you've come to play?" Tristain taunted the angry First Mate as the man had started to climb the rope ladder.

"The Duke gets the boy, but I- I want you, dear cousin." Swinging over the side of the railing, Tatrum drew his sword and held it in patience for the other man to do the same.

A small smile graced Tristain's lips and grew as his third cousin moved away from the railing and taunted him. "I always knew you would sell your family short as you disgrace us with his presence. Perhaps that's why we would never let you play with us. We didn't want to be sharing our lot with a traitor." Drawing his sword, Tristain lunged forward and stabbed at the air as his cousin dodged the attack. Tristain lurched back and moved to the side as Elijah had his turn to strike. Back and forth they moved, each keeping the other at bay and yet the smile only broadened on Tristain's lips.

Tatrum thrust again and smirked. "Surrender and I'll spare you the pain of watching your precious captain swing once again. He panted when knocked against the forecastle deck's railing. "My liege has told me that your captain has quite the career as the gaol whore!" Dodging a thrust by darting to the right, he laughed loudly. "Tell me, cousin, does his crew get the better deal than his First Mate, or is that strictly for show?" The laughter stopped when a sharp sting and the reality of his left jacket arm had been sliced from it's stitching.

"Ah, 'cousin', it seems you are a bit slower than the chubby little ten year old you were. Less talk and more training should have your tongue in the place it was meant to be kept." Tristain had tried to keep his feelings for Remy out of the play. It had served him no good to let his personal feelings get between he and Logan.

Shaking his head and stabbing Tristain in the left shoulder, Elijah stepped forward and held Tristain by the vest. "Why do you swear your allegiance to that bastard child?"

"To Alyzabith. I owe her that much."

Elijah snorted and spit to his left. "The bitch is dead, the boy is next." Stabbing at Tristain again, the man was knocked back against the railing and nearly forced over the edge by an angry older First Mate. A roar of laughter erupted and he pushed back, blade against blade until he stood upright again. "You know something, Tristain, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you had feelings for this flock of worthless sea-sludge."

Tristain leaned forward a bit and smiled widely. "As a matter of fact, I do. And now, I say goodbye dear miserable cousin." One last timed stroke as the blade pierced the material and then the skin and arteries of the man he had grown up with. "My regards to your drunken father," Tristain whispered as he sent the rest of the blade deeper into Elijah, letting the bloody blade of the machete slice through the back of the royal service jacket.

Utter surprise had pasted itself firmly on Tatrum's face as he slipped from blade and heavily fell to the hard, cold deck. He hadn't died right away but kept the surprise and stare of the harsh end on his features as Tristain towered over him, smirking with victory.

Continued..... Once More......