Chapter 1

 

The alarm clock rang, and then it exploded with a slap of the hand. Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, looked at the broken clock then burrowed back under the covers. “Merde, dese people aren’t human. Getting up at seven in de morning…” He started drifting off to sleep when a mental voice rang in his ears.

 

:REMY LEBEAU, WAKE UP!!!!!:

 

Remy knew that Jean couldn’t project directly into his mind but she could aim in his general direction. He let a thought rest in his public mind, Be right dere. With a groan, he got out of bed and staggered into the bathroom.

 

Scott looked at the time impatiently and then looked at Jean. “Where is he?”

 

“He said that he would be here.” Jean said with an impish grin. Then the Danger Room door opened and a grumpy Remy LeBeau stalked in, muttering in French under his breath about crazy mutants and annoying telepaths.

 

Rogue abruptly turned away when Remy entered the room, as did Warren. Remy ignored both of them and shuffled a few cards.

 

“Thank you for joining us, Gambit.” Scott rose his voice to address the whole team. “This is a simulation of Zero Tolorance. This is just to see where we have to work at. Professor, start the simulation.”

 

In the control room, the Professor started the program and settled back to watch.

 

Twenty Sentinels suddenly appeared as did the background of a ruined city. Immediately, the X-Men got down to business. Storm and Iceman attacked one Sentinel, using ice and lightining to break it down. Scott and Cannonball took on another one.

 

Gambit launched himself at one Sentinel, deftly and easily avoiding the energy blasts. He handed on the Sentinel’s head and kinetically charged the head. In ten seconds, the whole head was glowing and Gambit leapt to the ground. The Sentinel’s head blew up and the body fell to the ground, dead.

 

Gambit smiled at the familiar exhilaration of battle and made to face another Sentinel when he sensed something wrong. He frowned and started to scan when a Sentinel entered his sensing range. Gambit ignored whatever it was and attacked another Sentinel.

 

Guardian grimaced in pain as the barriers began to erode. He could sense beings stirring on the other side, also aware of the fading barriers. He sent a call for back up and prayed that the mirror would sense what was wrong.

 

The X-Men managed to beat the program in twenty minutes and were cooling off for a while. Remy was on edge, something was wrong but he couldn’t pinpoint it. He cocked his head to the side, then froze. “Mon Dieu..” But it was too late, a flood of impressions and images raced through his mind and Remy collapsed under the onslaught.

 

Remy felt himself losing his grip and control as the others rushed towards him. He readied his defense and they slammed into the shielding. He couldn’t waste the power to contact the Professor but he could ensure that the worst of them wouldn’t get through. Silent shrieks filled his mental ears as he tried to maintain control. Then the barrier broke.. And all hell broke loose.