Part Three
Gambit sat in the darkness of his room, watching her
sleep. *Cadie, how you get messed up in dis, hehn? Dey found de one
t'ing make go back t' N'Awlins. Can't let 'em hurt you, petite.*
(He'd been on a job when he found her. Shivering,
half starved.... He thought at the time to take her in, back to the
Guild, which was the only home he knew: but the job had to be done first.
So he marked her place, watched her for a
minute...... and came back later that night to try to find her. Instead, she found him.
She'd picked her hiding place well; the echoes and
the layout of the place messed up his kinesthetic sense. Not a feeling
he was used to, and it bothered him; but he was overconfident. After
all, she was just a small girl.
He felt the knife at his throat before he'd taken his fifth step. "What you want
here, hehn? Dis Arcadia's home, homme. Don' like strangers here."
He didn't move. "Petite, jus came to see if maybe
you'd like a better place to stay, hehn? I can take you somewhere
warm, get you sumpin t' eat." He poured all his charm into his words,
but the child merely shrugged it off. *Somethin wrong here, real
wrong. She's holdin back from me, an dat ain' somet'in happens often. Not workin on her.*
So he did the next best thing. He dropped his
shoulder and sent her flying. And when she came down, he was waiting and ready.
She lunged with the knife, and he sent it flying
with a kick. "Chere, I don' want t' fight. I don' mean you harm, hehn?
Just wanted......" His voice trailed off as he realized he wasn't sure
why he'd come. Except that he'd seen a child much like he'd been,
before the Guild took him in.
"I know what you jus wanted, homme," she snarled.
"An I ain' int'rested!" Suddenly her eyes locked with his and he felt
the worst pain of his life. Every cut, bruise, and hurt he'd ever felt
seemed to rise back up at him. He screamed, feeling himself burning with pain, over
every inch of his body. Then his body took pity on him and he passed out.
When he woke, she was gone. But she'd left him a note, which surprised him.
"I'm truly sorry..... but sometimes I don't know my own
strength....
I really didn't mean to hurt you so badly. Forgive
me."
That's when he realized how long it had taken him to wake.)
*Two days she put me out for. Wolverine was lucky.*
He rose, and began to pace around the room. His night vision was
excellent, so he didn't bother with a light to see by. Then he paused
by the window, again lost in thought.
(She'd eventually come looking for him. A man, she
would never give his name, had threatened to make her part of his
stable of prostitutes and she refused. He'd sworn to kill her on sight.
He'd been glad to see her, but wary. And he was
careful to avoid eye contact with her, though her odd amber cat-like
eyes intrigued him. And he'd taken her back to the Guild, and been her
protector for as long as they both remained in New Orleans.)
She stirred, crying out softly in her sleep. *I
can't jus' abandon her. Can't give her t' de police, like de others
t'ink I should.* Leaning down, he gently shook her shoulder. "Wake up,
petite. We're leavin now."
[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 ]
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