Disclaimer: You know the drill, everybody belongs to Marvel, they don't know I'm using them to do this... (Shhhh!) Just because I'm using them, in my humble opinion, a whole lot better than they did is beside the point.

Civil War
by A Spawn's Kid

"So what? Gambit did something horrible. That is no excuse to leave him in Antarctica!" Storm yelled as the rain thundered out of the relatively cloudless sky. Only a few moments ago, the sun had been shining and birds had been singing and the world had been quiet. But that was a few moments ago.

"Storm ya don't understand, he betrayed us all!" The striped-haired woman coldly replied as she threw her arms about in a frantic attempt to explain why she had done the unthinkable...why she had left the man that was madly in love with her to die in the bitter cold of the world's southern most point.

"Like you betrayed us with the Brotherhood, or I with the Shadow King?" Lightning bolted down from the sky, wandering like a lost child until it hit the grass-covered ground, sending soil and stones up in all four directions as the wind rider frustratedly paced.

From the sunlit corner of the kitchen stood a man whose wings were composed of the purest, whitest feathers that reflected the sun's light. He looked like one of God's messengers, who could see the beauty of the light, hear music in the sunset, and never judged a man by his actions but by his soul. "He created the Marauders! He deserves to die a million deaths!" He only looked like one.

"He didn't create the Marauders. Sinister did and there's a good chance that even if Gambit hadn't been involved, the massacre would have happened anyway." Jean Grey-Summers made a valid point as she walked over to where Storm now paced. The action itself made a statement, but many did not hear it being made.

"How could you say that Jean? Gambit was a focal point and without him, nothing would have happened," Scott said as he looked up at his wife. Never liking the man in question and always thinking that he was no good, the idea that he was involved in the slaughter of innocent people wasn't hard to believe. It wasn't hard for him to believe that he was unremorseful killer.

Until this moment Scott and Jean had agreed on almost everything that wasn't trivial. Until this moment they were the perfect married couple. That was until this moment.

Jean could not believe that Remy was a cold-hearted killer. She did not believe that he even had a major impact on the outcome. "Scott, Sinister is pure evil! That is why he's called Sinister and if he wanted the Morlocks dead then the Morlocks would be dead with or without Gambit!"

"But Jean...." He could not believe what his beloved wife was saying.

"Sit down and shut up, Scott!"

From the shadows came a southern accent. The one person in the northern hemisphere who maybe knew what the truth was, kept her eyes closed to it. Her mind was made up by the bitter winds and fallen rubble. "He knew what he was doing, he knew people were going to die and that's why Ah left him there." Her words cut the very air.

Her grim presence and her grim words were rebuked. "Rogue, last time I checked you are not leader of this team nor responsible for any significant or substantial decisions such as leaving another X-Man to die." Usually quite happy, the situation had turned the rather happy go lucky blue doctor into a rather glum but optimistic debater who was the only impartial witness to any of this, " And I truly believe that you were emotional unstable at the moment and that is what affected your judgment not the fact Gambit was involved in a massacre. Besides we all have shaded pasts. You with the Brotherhood, Wolverine with Department H, Jean with the dark Phoenix, Warren with Apocalypse, Storm with the Shadow King, Joseph with...well...himself. We all have the proverbial 'skeletons in the closet.' "

"But our pasts have never cost us life and limb! Gambit, that bastard, cost me my wings! Remember?" Implored Angel, his words were filled with self-pity and hatred.

"Whoa!!!! Back that train right back up," Jubilee shouted getting up from the couch. She had finally had enough of one of her buddies being bad-mouthed,"When have like anyone's shaded past not bit us in the butt?"

"Jubilee is right," Jean began again, "When I was turned into the dark Phoenix I almost drove Scott insane and then you all had to do battle with me. That was life and limb."

"Jean that was different!" Scott said with the look of a wounded puppy-dog, defending Jean from herself.

But Jean didn't want to be defended. "Scott I thought I told you to sit down and shut up."

Some birds still sang, much like hope... but the rain stilled pounded making the birds' song impossible to hear...and lightning still struck, out-thundering the rain...and the X-Men still argued drowning everything out.

Jubilee pushed up her sleeves and used something that went relatively unused in this house and/or conversation. Logic. "And plus like of what we heard, Gambit grouped the Marauders together not knowing what they were going to do, led them through a tunnel, opened a door, let them in and when he like figured out that they were killing people, he tried to save the Morlocks, got out with one and nearly died trying to stop the Massacre! Yup! That sure sounds like a total monster!"

"He is." Rogue's emerald green eyes looked up in a cold stare and looking into them Storm could see Remy being left in the snow. She could see the hopelessness on his face and his heart braking. She could see him standing in the snow shivering because of the cold and crying because of Rogue leaving him behind. She could see the tears freezing before they fell from his face.

With a blink the imaged changed. Gambit's body lied in the snow. His skin was blue and frost bitten. He laid face first and the snow blew over him making a shallow grave.

He was dead, Rogue killed him and Storm had just had enough. "Rogue just do like Scott and be quiet, your voice is beginning to annoy me! Just because something does not turnout as expected does not give you the right to let a man freeze to death!"

Much like a child Rogue responded, "Ya can't talk to me like that!"

There was lightning in Storm's eyes at that moment and Wolverine had caught notice of it. The Canadian wasn't afraid of much...bears, wolves, intergalactic warlords but the look on Storm's face...that he was afraid of.

He had to stop this...and stop it quick. Storm could kill Rogue and she was in the mind state to do so. "C'mon Rogue maybe we should...leave Storm alone." Turning around he looked at the wind rider and whispered, "Don't hit her with lightning, she's a sick, sick woman." Storm smiled a little at the remark.

Jean, just as quickly as Wolverine stopped one problem, nipped another in the bud herself. "Joseph close your mouth, you're not allowed to say anything about this!"

"Why not?"

Before Jean could explain Jubilee butted in. "Because you're Magneto, master of magnetism, nightmare to all who hold this dream dear! Duh!"

Meanwhile Storm's mind was decided as she took one last look outside the window. She wasn't going to stand by and do nothing, she was going to do what was right. "I am going after him. I will not let my friend die because...of...that...witch leaving him in Antarctica."

"Don't go, he's probably already dead!" Rogue's words were still cold and they still cut the air like a sword yet there was something strange in her voice as she spoke. It wasn't there in the beginning of the conversation but it was there now. Her words weren't as cold as before, it might have been because of guilt...or love. "No one could survive that cold without a coat nonetheless without a shirt!"

Storm did not hear that change, she had made up her mind about Rogue. Rogue was a heartless beast that lacked a soul. Storm wheeled around and looked at Rogue for the last time and told her, "Rogue, you better hope he is alive because his fate is yours!"

"But he deserves to die!" Angel was Rogue's only defense yet it wasn't enough.

Coldly, Storm turned to him and scowled, "And it might be yours as well, Warren."

Her white hair whipped around her as she lifted off the ground. Her only thought was getting to Antarctica in time and finding Remy. Storm silently prayed that her friend was still alive, she silently prayed that she would be able to find him quickly so she could bring him home, and she silently prayed that Rogue would regain her soul.

With little thought Jubilee rushed over to the departing weather goddess. Remy was Jubilee's friend too and thinking of him as an ice icicle was saddening. They had some good times together, especially tricking Iceman and scaring the Professor to death. She didn't want him to die. She knew that she wouldn't be allowed to go the Antarctica to get him but still she wanted to help.

She placed her hand upon Storm's shoulder and Storm quickly turned around. Jubilee took her jacket off and said, "Here...take my coat."

Storm was quite confused at the teenager's words and replied, "I will not get cold in Antarctica Jubilee, my powers would not permit that."

Jubilee whispered, "You might not get cold but Gambit might."

Taking the yellow jacket, Storm nodded in gratitude and flew from the house beginning her journey.

Down-Home Charm / Fan-Fiction / Fan Artwork / History Books / Photo Album / Songbank / Miscellania / Links / Updates

Legalese: Rogue, the X-Men, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are Trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. and are used without permission. This is an unofficial fansite, and is not sponsored, licensed or approved by Marvel Comics.
• Privacy Policy and Submission Guidelines