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Half an hour later, Leo reappeared in the boxing gym with Fred "The Blob" Dukes in tow. The massive man collapsed onto the ring like a pile of melting wax, every fold of fat trembling with fear.
Logan's eyes flicked to Leo, filled with hope.
"Done," Leo said, hopping off the apron. "But the answer's not one you'll like, Logan."
"What?" Logan frowned.
"Victor and Stryker are working together. They're on the island. They're capturing mutants for experiments." Leo's voice hardened as he clapped Logan's shoulder.
Logan's face twisted, disbelief colliding with rage. "All this… for experiments? They killed her just to stick metal in my bones?!"
His claws clenched into fists as he pounded the wall. The plaster cracked, his knuckles shredded into bloody ruin. He didn't even flinch, hitting again and again.
Nightcrawler stepped forward, worried, but Leo stopped him. "Let him vent."
Kurt's yellow eyes narrowed. "What is this madness?"
Leo's gaze darkened. "It's a setup. They wanted to forge Logan into a weapon. Victor killed his wife to fuel his rage. Stryker swooped in with his 'solution' adamantium. Logan was just a pawn. A lab rat." He swallowed the darker suspicion whispering in his gut. Even her death might not have been what it seemed…
Kurt cursed under his breath. "Victor's insane. To betray his own blood like that—"
"Wait." Leo froze. "His own blood?"
"You didn't know?" Kurt looked grim. "Me, Fred, Zero, Logan, Victor, Mindbender… and that loudmouth Wade we were all part of Stryker's covert strike team. Logan left first, when the missions got dirty. Later, when they started hunting mutants, I left too. Fred followed. I knew Stryker wouldn't let any of us go."
Logan finally stilled, his fury simmering into cold purpose. "Then we start with Stryker. Leo, we're going."
Kurt stiffened. "Where?"
"Gambit," Leo said flatly.
Kurt hesitated, then gritted his teeth. "I know where to find him. I'll take you."
---
Remy LeBeau aka Gambit. The only mutant known to have escaped Stryker's island. Some called him "Card Master," others "The Cajun." His gift: charging objects with explosive kinetic energy. He favored playing cards deadly, precise, and near-instant to charge.
That night, Kurt led them to a casino on Bourbon Street.
"Leo, you're ridiculous," Kurt muttered, watching yet another woman fawn over him. "That's the third one tonight."
"They're all yours," Leo said without looking, scanning the crowd.
"There," he finally pointed. At a poker table, a young man showed off with a dazzling shuffle. Cards blurred in the air before he flicked out four aces with a grin.
"I'll cover the back door. Try not to scare him," Kurt said, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"I won't hit him," Logan muttered, stepping forward like he meant it.
Leo smirked. "You sure? You've got a face made for starting fights."
"You calling me a dog?"
"Dogs bite cats, don't they?" Leo quipped, brushing past.
They stopped at the table. "You Remy LeBeau?" Leo asked.
"Do I owe you money?" Gambit asked, eyes sharp beneath his hat.
"No."
"Then yeah, I'm him." He smiled faintly, red irises glowing as he riffled the deck.
Meanwhile, outside, Kurt blinked into the alley only to freeze. A familiar silhouette stalked through the shadows.
"…Victor?" he whispered.
Sabretooth's grin was pure predator. "So, my little brother's got himself a babysitter?"
"You don't scare me," Kurt spat.
Victor chuckled. "Fred did."
Rage burned through Kurt. "You bastard! I won't let Logan waste his claws on you!" He lunged, striking first. His fist landed across Victor's jaw hard enough to bruise a steel beam.
Victor only licked away the blood, smiling wider. "Quick. But weak. That tickled."
---
Back in the casino, Gambit's eyes flicked between his cards and the two men across the table. "How much are you putting in?"
Leo patted his pockets, glanced at Logan. "You got cash?"
"Seventeen bucks," Logan muttered.
Gambit chuckled. "Go home, boys. That barely covers cab fare." His eyes sharpened. "So what are you really here for?"
"Victor," Logan said, voice low and dangerous. "He's working for Stryker, on an island. I need to know where it is."
Gambit's smile never wavered, but his hand stilled. "Why would I know?"
"Because you're the only one who ever escaped it. We need you to take us there." Leo's voice cut like steel.
Logan leaned forward and the dog tag around his neck slipped free.
Gambit's eyes narrowed, catching the glint of metal. "Nice tag. Just like the bastards who dragged me off. You one of theirs?" His fingers glowed red, charging the deck in his hand.
"Wait," Logan started, "you've got it wrong—"
Too late.
The cards exploded forward, glowing with kinetic energy.
"Shit!" Leo grabbed Logan and blinked them across the room. The charged deck hit the wall, detonating with a thunderous BOOM. Dust and smoke filled the air, and a gaping hole was blasted through the plaster.
Through the smoke, Logan stiffened. His nose twitched. A scent he knew like no other. His lips peeled back into a snarl.
"Victor."
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