A Thief in the Night

Pietro watched Lance devour his second club sandwich. He'd ordered room service at Alvers' request and couldn't hide his disgust as the man shoveled the food into his mouth and spoke around the mess in his jaws.


"Nothin' like this in prison, man." He mumbled. Pietro turned away as flecks of soggy bread flew out of his teammate's mouth. It really wouldn't be much of a loss. Slipping the sleeping draught into lance's milk shake was easy enough. Without his gift, it was even easier because Lance didn't think he was capable of anything without his mutation. He waited until Lance was finished eating and had thrown away the remains of his lunch.


"Feel good to be out?" Pietro asked him, sitting across from him at the small table in their room. "All that turkey and you're gonna be ready for a little nap, Alvers." He said with a smirk.


"Better than sleeping with one eye open all the time." The taller man replied, sucking his teeth loudly. "Good to get a full night's rest anyway. I owe you one, man." He said to Pietro.


"Hey, you really held up for us and kept your mouth shut. I did my part and got you out. " He gestured to the window. "I'll keep an eye out if you want to get a shower or something." He hoped that Lance would take the hint. He'd been getting a bit funky lately.


"Good idea, can't wait to shower alone, without anyone watching me." He shuddered. "Being a mutant has its advantages in prison, none of the gangs leave you alone." He peeled his dirty t-shirt off and picked up his bag, heading for the bathroom.


After the door shut, Pietro breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that the inhibitor bracelet wouldn't be damaged under water. Jonesey had been right about it; it really was a pretty spectacular piece of equipment. It had been a shame to kill him. But his father's orders had been precise. After Magnet's own scientists discovered that Jonesey's boasts had been premature, and the chemical wasn't as effective as he'd predicted, he'd wanted the man eliminated. They had no use for a man who knew some of their plans and couldn't deliver a product as promised. Pietro hadn't mentioned the inhibitors. It would be his pet project. He'd broken Jonesey's neck, then searched the apartment and taken all of his research disks along with the prototypes before the man's body had hit the floor.


Pietro didn't like wearing the band. He hated the idea of being stuck at the same speed as the rest of the world. It wasn't natural. It inhibited his ability to think faster than normal as well, and he found his muscles to feel more strain than usual without his mutation to keep fatigue at bay. He'd been sleeping more in the last few days and waking with grogginess which was unusual. The floor was littered with empty cans of caffinated soda. He needed to feel some kind of rush, and since he wasn't into drugs, he'd needed to try a different kind of stimulant.


Pietro could hear the shower running and found himself impatient for the drug to take effect on Lance. He looked out the window and watched the city below him. He knew that the X-men would be looking for him, but Xavier couldn't focus his concentration in two places at once. The shower stopped and when his friend emerged from the shower, he was already blinking and yawning, sleepily.


"You're right about the turkey, man." Lance said, pulling on a pair of sweatpants. "Ready for a nap, now. "


"I tried to warn you." Pietro replied, grinning in amusement. He'd made the comment about the turkey in order to keep Lance from becoming suspicious. It probably wasn't necessary, but Alvers could occasionally surprise him with moments of clarity. He kept the impatience from his voice when Lance stood still, scratching his damp chest and blinking sleepily. "Not sick are you?" Pietro prodded.


"Nah, just need a little rest."


"Yeah, go ahead, I'll wake you if anything happens." Alvers made a non-committal noise and crawled back into his messy bedclothes. The drug would keep him sleepy and sedated for a long time. Long enough, anyway. Lance was pretty strong, but he'd put enough of the stuff in his shake to knock out a moose. He didn't feel too bad about his betrayal. The gus bos bound to fuck things up for himself sooner or later. This way he wouldn't bring Pietro down with him. He didn't trust the guy around Wanda anyway.


Avalanche was a skirt chaser; Pietro suspected that he'd cheated on Kitty in the past. He'd always been giving Wanda the eye since she'd moved in with them. His twin's powers were enough to keep Alvers' advances at bay, but the man's temper and lack of forethought would end up hurting her, eventually. He loved his sister and wouldn't allow that to happen. Besides, he made the perfect bait.


Once Pietro was certain that Lance was deeply asleep, he packed his bags and slipped the wristband from his friend's body. Tucking it away in his pocket, he hurried out of the room and away from the hotel. Even if Xavier were searching for them constantly, he'd still have enough time to get out of the area before reinforcements came. He had to get across town and into position.


Xavier spent time in Cerebro every few hours, and around midnight, he returned to the room and had success for the first time. He picked up Lance Alvers' mutant signature almost immediately. He was still in New York City, and he was sleeping in a room at a downtown hotel. He mentally called Jean and she and Scott set out immediately. Logan and Angel were on their way and would meet them at the hotel.


"Good news, Chere." Rogue opened her eyes; Gambit stood over her bed with a small smile on his face. "Wolverine and de big bird go to pick up Alvers."


"They found him?" She sat up abruptly. "When? How?" He leaned forward in his chair and she noticed that he'd put his protective body armor back on and his Bo-staff was extended and in his hand.


"Yo Professor Xavier finally find him and de others go to bring him in." When he saw her gaze light on his attire he shrugged. "Don like bein' unprepared. Somthin' don feel right heah."


"Where's Kitty?"


"Living room wit yo brother." Rogue slipped out of bed and went to her bureau. She met Gambit's gaze in the mirror and gave him a little smile before pulling her pajama top off. He raised an eyebrow in amusement but didn't move. She snickered to herself but dressed quickly in her uniform. He stood up and walked to her. His gloved fingers ran up her bare spine as he zipped her up. Then he handed h car card with a phone number on it. "Dis a cell phone number where y'all can reach Gambit in emergencies." He said. She tucked it away in her bureau and nodded.
"Ah won't use it unless it's important." She promised. He walked with her out to the living room just as the phone rang. Kurt answered it and listened for a minute. Then he hung up and crossed to his girlfriend and placed an arm around her shoulders.


"That was Logan. Avalanche is in custody, they're taking him to the med bay at the mansion."


"Why? Is he sick or something?" Rogue asked.


"Apparently he appears drugged." Kurt replied. "The Professor wants us all to go to the mansion right away." Rogue nodded and turned to Gambit.


"You coming?" She asked. But she already knew the answer. He shook his auburn head regretfully.


"Non, Chere, not de place for me dere." He nodded to Kurt. "He get you dere safe, but Gambit walk de ladies to de car." The girls stuffed a few necessaries in bags and walked down to the parking garage. Kurt unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat. Gambit stood with his staff out, looking around the darkened garage.


"Something's off." Kitty said, catching his mood. "Someone's here." Kurt's cell phone rang and it broke her concentration for a second. It was more than enough time.


Gambit didn't feel the rush of air that accompanied Quicksilver's movements and he never felt the blow that landed behind his ear. Before the phone rang a second time, it was over. As the first target, Kurt didn't have enough time to teleport and lay slumped, unconscious over the steering wheel. Kitty was phased and standing over Gambit's prone form. She looked around and saw Rogue on the ground as well. Pietro whistled to a stop in front of her with a malicious grin.


"Going to visit your old boyfriend, babe?" He asked. When she made a move toward him, he held up a finger and waved it back and forth. "All I need is a fraction of a second with your molecules together and you go down like the rest." She fisted her hands at her sides and remained in her fighting stance.


"What do you want?" She growled. "Cause I know it isn't Lance." When he clapped his hands appreciatively, she became more infuriated. She kept her temper in check and remained phased. "You were the only one who could have possibly drugged him. And you left him to get caught."


"Don't sound so self-righteous. He tried to kill you and you were in support of keeping him locked up for a few years."


"I think a little time behind bars would do you both some good." Her lips peeled back in a feral smile. "Pretty little thing like you. You'd be someone's bitch within the hour." He frowned. "Not too different from now. You're daddy's little girl and running his errands for him." Kitty was hoping to distract him till Kurt could come around. It was too much to hope for. His expression was dark but he just bent down and slung Rogue's limp body over his shoulder.


"I'll be taking your roommate for a little while, but don't worry, Babe, we'll see each other real
soon." He disappeared in a blur and Kitty immediately phased into the car and shut the doors and windows before becoming completely solid and answering the phone.


"Kurt?" It was Scott's voice.


"Too late." Kitty said, and she told him what had happened.


Gambit woke feeling filthy cement under his cheek. His head throbbed, but that wasn't what disturbed him. He could no longer feel Rogue nearby. He heard Kitty's voice from above him and a few mumbled words in German.


"Rogue." He said, rubbing his head and pushing himself upright. Kitty touched his shoulder.


"Pietro grabbed her." She said. Scott was just calling us to tell us that his signature had showed up and it was in our area. Unfortunately he was too late." Kurt was rubbing his head. "He took Rogue and I couldn't stop him." She said, pounding her small fist on the car seat. "I knew if I unphased for even a second he'd be able to knock me out too."


When Gambit struggled to his feet and walked to a sleek Mercedes, Kurt called out to him.


"Where are you going?" He asked. "We need to get back to the mansion." The tall Cajun didn't answer. He just used the end of his staff to break the back window of the car. When the alarm started going off, he charged up a card, opened the door and leaned under the dashboard where he used the card like a knife and cut a few wires, silencing the alarm.


"Be in touch, Petite." He said, without looking back. The engine roared to life a few moments later and he pulled out of the parking space. He was gone in moments. Kitty drove herself and Kurt out of the garage after him.


"The Professor's going to be pissed about this." Kitty said, negotiating her way through traffic and heading back toward Bayville.


"The Professor?" Kurt's tone was surprised. "Warren's the one who's going to go apeshit. That was his Mercedes."