A Rogue's Tale

Defending a Girl's Honor Part 4

Fred didn't have time to worry about Pietro getting away from him, because he had someone else that he needed to see. He knew that Wolverine and some of the older kids at the X-mansion hung out at the local poolhall on the weekends, and even though it was a Friday it was still early evening, which was technically the start of the weekend. He was worried about Rogue and didn't want to see her get into any more trouble than she was already in.

He remembered what Pietro said about the real reason he was helping Rogue. Did he truly want her for himself? He like nothing more than to have a girl like Rogue, of all the Brotherhood she was the nicest, and the only one of them who could beat him in a fight, granted it was after she 'borrowed' everyone else's powers, but when it came to hand to hand combat she was so much more skilled than the others.

Still, he wanted to make sure Gambit wasn't taking advantage of her, so he had to have a little talk with him in secret. Fred was a big guy, so walking the few blocks to the poolhall wasn't a problem. Most kids at school thought he was lazy and had no self-control when it came to food, but it was a little more complicated than that. His mutation was the reason for his size, and he ate as much as he did because he had to. Behind what others thought of as fat there was pure muscle.

He would give that X-Men a good dose of what his powers could do, if for no other reason than to protect Rogue. Finally, he arrived at the poolhall, so he walked in thinking he would see that Cajun Casanova right when he walked in, but to his disappointment he was nowhere in sight.

So, he didn't make himself look like an idiot he walked up to the bar like any ordinary patron. "Can I get a soda?" Fred asked and pulled out a few dollars out of his pocket.

The bar tender just gave him a funny look but pour him a glass of cola without saying a word. Fred sat there feeling foolish for even coming in there. He gave up the whole idea of finding Gambit and confronting him when he heard that familiar Cajun accent. Fred looked around and saw him coming out of the bathroom with one of his X-buddies. Someone stirred up the anger in him at seeing the guy Rogue had been secretly going around with.

"Hey, X-Man," Fred said while walking towards him with his drink still in his hand.

Remy looked up with a confused look on his face. "Talking to me, Dukes?" Remy asked.

"Yeah, I got something to talk to you about," Fred said trying to look intimidating which wouldn't be hard to do with most of the kids he went to school with, but this guy didn't seem fazed. If anything, he looked confused.

"What would you have to talk to me about?" Remy said with her arms crossed over his chest.

"Rogue," Fred said with made Gambit's eyes spark a bit.

"What about her?" Remy asked but Fred hesitated. "Somet'ing happen?"

"She got found out," Fred said which made Remy go pale. "Don't worry. It wasn't Mystique. It was Pietro."

"He do somet'ing to her?" Remy asked looking anxious.

"No, more like she did something to him," Fred said as Remy directed him to sit at one of the tables. "She...ummm... kind of blackmailed him"

Remy chuckled at that. "Sounds like somet'ing my chere would do."

"We tied him up, but he got away from us," Fred said, looking embarrassed. "Rogue found out some dirt on him, but that doesn't mean he won't shoot off his mouth.

"I'll take care of the speed demon and Rogue," Remy said and got up from the table. "Don't worry about it."

"You love her, don't you?" Fred asked with a little disappointment in his face.

"Yeah," Remy said and walked off. Fred just sat there holding onto his drink tightly, so much so the glass shattered in his hand.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" He heard the bartender scream from across the room. "Those glasses cost money."

"Sorry," Fred said and held up a five dollar bill. He left it and the shards of glass on the table. He swiftly walked out the entrance door hoping he would never have to come in there again.

That's the end of this chapter. Be here next time for The Mall Incident. What will happen when Quicksilver sees Rogue hanging out this the X-Girl, especially Tara.