The next night was dark and wet. Reverie hunched her shoulders against the late fall storm. She studied the sign in front of her, lit up by a streetlight, the looming letters told her she had arrived at her destination. She smiled in spite of the cold rain beating down on her. Her black cat suit kept her warm but the rain matted down her long braid. She flew through the quaint town until she was heading back out. The road she was looking for appeared and she turned down it.
A few miles down the road, she stopped at a set of huge wrought iron gates. She stared at the mansion looming up behind them and smiled. She flew over the wall and toward the house, searching for her prey. Movement below her caught her eye and she stopped, hidden among some tree branches.
"Where are they?" A deep voice asked.
A moment later, another voice answered this one with an accent she couldn't place. "Don' know, mon ami. I tell you, Gambit saw som't'in move over dis way."
"There is no one here."
Reverie smiled to herself. When they had moved on her flew from the tree, only to be brought down from the sky by something. She looked in the direction of the blast and saw two figures.
One was tall and lanky, a trench coat billowing out in the wind. A pink light coming from several playing cards he held in his hand illuminated his sharply chiseled face.
The other was huge, a hulking black man who dwarfed the other man in both height and mass. He was holding an equally large gun aimed at her.
The first man smiled. "I wouldn' move if I was you pet'te. Now how 'bout you tell ol' Gambit why you sneakin' round de house."
She looked at him indignantly and smiled. She reached out and touched the smaller man. Invoking her powers, she drew him into a dream world. He collapsed and she turned to the other man. He was out of her reach so she froze him in place telekinetically and flew up. She waved and headed for the house again.
//What's going on?// The Professor's voice sounded in both men's minds.
//We have an intruder.// Bishop answered. //She's heading for the house.//
When Reverie thought she was far enough away, she released Bishop. Running for the house, he fired his gun when she came into sight. She screamed as she fell from the sky and hit the ground with a thud.
He watched the girl hit the ground and ran over to her.
//Gambit? Bishop? Is everyone all right?// Professor Xavier asked them.
//Our guest is down and she did something to Gambit.// Bishop told him.
//Bring the intruder to the infirmary.//
//Yes, sir.// Bishop picked the young girl up and carried her into the house. Jean followed him inside, telekinetically carrying Gambit. They brought the injured down to the med lab, where Hank was waiting for them.
"Has our mysterious visitor woken up since she fell?" He asked.
"No." Bishop set the girl down on one of the exam tables.
Hank turned and looked at her. "My stars and garters!" He exclaimed. "The young woman bears an uncanny resemblance to Ashby Rivers. Jean, did you notice this?"
Jean came over and looked carefully at the girl. "She does. But older. This girl is obviously in her late teens. Ashby would only be 12."
"I'll need to run some tests." He muttered as he attached an inhibitor collar around the girl's neck before turning to Gambit.
The Cajun groaned as Hank took his pulse. "Whoa. Did anybody git de license o' dat truck?" He opened his eyes and moaned again.
"Gambit! You're awake my friend. Excellent. Do you know what she did to you?"
He shook his head and winced in pain. "She just touched me."
"Is her power like Rogue's?" Bishop wondered.
"Gambit don' t'ink so. It was like she put me in a dream." He lay back down as Hank examined him.