Cards and Claws

Nightmares

Standing knee-deep in the snow, Wolf tilted her nose to the ground and inhaled deeply. An unfriendly scent hung in the air, swirling through the wind around her. Tree branches snapped and snow crunched as unidentifiable shadows slunk around, just shy of the tree line. Wolf narrowed her eyes and watched the woods for any sudden movements. No one made a move; all was still.

Then, all hell broke loose.

Voices shouted as at least a dozen men in military uniforms rushed to overtake Wolf. In a split-second, she extended her claws and readied herself for a fight. The soldiers leveled their guns to their shoulders and took aim. Wolf didn't give them the chance to fire. She made a sharp turn and pushed through the soldiers' line. She must've stabbed one in passing, because he screamed and cursed at her.

Guns fired and bullets bounced off trees as Wolf made her escape. If it hadn't been twelve men armed to the teeth, she wouldn't have even considered retreat. But staying wasn't an option. Their job wasn't to kill, just to capture. To bring her back. She wasn't going to let that happen.

A bullet pierced her shoulder, and white-hot pain raced through her body. She yelped but didn't stop running. She risked a glance at the wound, and she watched as her body pushed the bent slug from her skin. A few seconds later, the wound sealed. No evidence remained. It was as if she hadn't been shot at all.

More voices clamored ahead of her. Wolf skidded to a stop as more soldiers, dressed—and armed—just like the others, pounced at her. It was at least another dozen, making the new odds twenty-four to one.

Before she could make a break for it, one of the soldiers in front of her aimed a taser at her and fired. The barbed wires gripped Wolf's shirt and sent jolts through her body. Without so much as a groan, she collapsed, convulsing in the snow. The man holding the taser laughed, and his comrades moved in to surround her....

Don't let this be it. I don't want to go back!

"Come on, mon ami, wake up!"

Wolf gasped and jolted awake. LeBeau, who had his hand on her shoulder, trying to shake her awake, didn't move back in time, and Wolf's head connected with his nose. Her metal skull clanged as it collided with his flesh. Wolf didn't feel any pain, but LeBeau sure did.

He groaned and fell back against his bed. "Oh, mon—! Are ya tryin' ta kill me, chere?!" he shouted, clutching his nose.

"Next time, don't try to wake me up," she said back. She sighed and wiped cold sweat from her face. Then she pushed the blankets off her body and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "How's your nose?"

Remy moved his hands. His nose was already turning purple, but it didn't look too bad. "It look crooked?"

"Nah. It's an improvement." Wolf stood up and retrieved her jacket and boots. She quickly covered her feet, then slipped her jacket on. She combed her fingers over her hair, then grabbed LeBeau's trench coat and tossed it to him. "Thanks for this, by the way."

"Ya needed it more than me, mon ami."

"All the same, thank you."

"Just tryin' ta help a poor kid out."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"So? What's de plan?"

Since he had done so much for her already, Wolf knew she couldn't just get rid of him now. She owed him, one way or another. Looked like LeBeau was in it for the long haul.

She caught herself grinning. "How do you feel about hiking?"

A/N: Sorry it's short, but I figured I was due for an update. Anyway, what do you guys think of it so far? Do I have any die-hard Gambit fans reading this? If so, do y'all like my interpretation of him? I'd love to see what y'all think!