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Diana:Party! Party! Party! Oops..it's Sunday night..darn!!!

Hate Is An Understatement
by Diana Othman

Chapter 4

Everything was just as it usually was the next morning. Beast continued with his work to find a cure for the Legacy Virus, Bobby distracted him, Joseph kept on brooding, and Gambit and Rogue were arguing during a Danger Room program. This time Wolverine and Storm baby-sat the two youngest team-members.

"Gambit!!!! Watch it!!!" Rogue screamed as one of his charged cards almost exploded in her face.

"Hey! If I was aimin' f' you, chere, I wouldn't 'ave missed!" Gambit snapped.

"Please...Ah've seen pissin' dogs with better aim than y'all."

"Y' disgust me, chere."

"Well, Ah learnt from the best."

"Grrr."

No more robots for the Southerners...This time, holograms of the X-Men's most dangerous enemies taunted them in the Danger Room. Omega Red's tentacles reached for Gambit, but before he could set his cards flying, Rogue grabbed onto both deadly tendrils, and yanked hard, dismembering them. Omega Red went down on his knees, bloodcurdling screams filling the enclosed area.

"Hey! I was 'bout t' handle dat!"

"Yeah, well...y'snooze...y'lose," Rogue smirked, imitating a familiar line.

"Why you...," Gambit began sending a trail of cards into Mr Sinister's body. "...Butt-kissing, hypocritical....."

"My, my, Mr LeBeau...Ya actually knew that word existed, may wonders never cease."

"Oh chere...I know lots more 'an dat..trust me," The same sardonic grin splayed across his lips,"As I was sayin'...Friggin' lil' BRAT!"

Rogue crushed Pyro's head as metallic debris tumbled onto the floor. They did not notice that they almost wiped out the entire clan of bad guys assigned to them during the sequence, they were too engrossed in each other's anger. Their eyes shot daggers at each other, as their hands played out what their glares could not...much to the hologram's expense.

"Incredible...They have improved tremendously, such prowess, such skill..." Storm breathed.

"The kids could take care of anythin'...Could see they're made of tougher stuff... but tension's runnin' high right now...and I don't think it's got ta do with the holograms," Wolverine took a huge gulp at his beer, unflinching as the frizzy liquid burnt a path down his throat. Storm looked at him questioningly. Logan smiled, "Just watch."

Two victorious figures stood, facing each other amongst a sea of useless mechanical parts and scraps of metal, eyes blazing, fists clenched. They continued to stare at each other, breathing heavily after the intense workout.

Gambit spoke first. "Ya know, chere, since y' hate me so much, why don'cha do sumthin' 'bout it."

"Oh, Ah intend ta, Cajun.."

"Why de long wait den? I could take ya on...anytime, anyday!"

"What are ya? A Visa ad???"

"Dat's it...C'mon, just get it over an' done right NOW!"

"Your mama was...."

"Don' even try, chere...."Gambit's eyes reduced to slits.

"Soooo big...."

"Don' y' dare get there...."Gambit warned dangerously.

"That when she fell inta the Grand Canyon..She got stuck!!!"

As soon as the words left her lips, Gambit threw a charged card straight at her. Reflexes fully activated, Rogue launched herself into the air. Gambit watched as she hovered above him, circling him like a vulture before moving in for the kill. She plunged down towards him. Just in time, Gambit dodged her iron fists and sent another card sailing through the air. His targets were always 100% accurate and Rogue painfully remembered that when his card blasted her abdomen, burning through her uniform. The impact sent her crashing against the wall. Gambit retrieved his bo staff that had been safely tucked within his trench coat and ran after her beaten form.

"Now we do dis, one on one, on de GROUND!" Rogue clutched her grazed skin, her eyes burning as intensely as her temper.

"Whatever y'all prefer," she growled.

"What are they doing?" Storm stood up in haste, alarmed.

"Relax 'Ro, let the belle and the cajun work things out themselves," Logan placed his huge palm on her shoulder.

"And risk both of them getting hurt?"

Wolverine shook his head, "As I said, just watch...."

Rogue's fists dug deep into Gambit's gut. "Owff..," Gambit fell back. She stood above him, scowling. Gambit wore a poker mask on his face and Rogue did not see him sweeping him bo staff around her legs, hitting her right at the back of her knees. Her knees gave way and she fell to the ground. Almost immediately, Gambit lunged forward at her, holding her down. Rogue struggled and got her arm free quickly. Not sparing any thoughts, Rogue punched his nose excessively hard and blood gushed, staining his uniform. Rogue's eyes widened, her body froze as she saw the thick redness spilling down from his nose.

"Omigod!" she managed to breathe.

Gambit's broke his hold on her and cupped his stinging nose. Rogue got up swiftly on her knees as her hand, instinctively, held Gambit's shoulder, attempting to stabilize him.

"Ah'm so sorry Gambit...Ah didn't mean to..." Gambit held up his palm, nodding, accepting her apology as he directed his full attention to his wound. Rogue tore off the sleeve of her uniform in one swift motion. She removed his hands away gently and started wiping away the blood with the scrap of material.

"Ah'm truly sorry, Remy," she continued as she cleaned up the mess on his face. "Didn't know Ah was capable of hurtin' someone who's side Ah'm supposed to be on."

Her face fell. Gambit watched her silently, a little dazed, one moment she was a lean, mean fighting machine and the next an angel of mercy as she nursed him tenderly. Her smooth knuckles brushed against his jaw, as she cleaned him up. That ignited a spark within his lean body. Rogue saw how her touch affected him and that fact did not escape the Cajun's sharp eyes.

He grinned devilishly.

"And here I thought y'hate me, chere."

Rogue laughed heartily, the rich sound warming Gambit's soul.

"Sugar, hate is an understatement."

Continued in Chapter 5.

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