"Gambit!" greeted one of the boys from the poker table. "Hey-hey long time no see."
"Indeed," Gambit replied as he joined them.
"You gonna take those glasses off?" asked an unfamiliar face across the table.
"Oh no," said another guy, Reece. "We've all had a vote: Gambit keeps the glasses on."
"That's right," agreed Horace, the first one who spoke.
"I like to see the eyes of the people I play against."
Gambit grinned at him and lowered his glasses.
"Like what yo' see, mon ami?" he inquired.
"Mutie!" hissed the new guy.
"Gambit put those demon peepers away would you? You're gonna put me off my game," complained Kevin from across the table.
Gambit chuckled and put his glasses back on.
"Hey, I didn't say to put them back on," said the new guy.
"On no, Frank," cut in Horace. "Told you. We've taken a vote and the vote is unanimous. Gambit keeps the glasses on."
"I don't know what the problem is mes amis," Gambit smirked. "Dey're just eyes. Look perfectly normal if yo' ask moi. You're the unes wit' funny eyes."
"So says the demon spawn," joked Reece as he dealt the cards.
The game progressed. Part way through the evening Gambit managed to clean out Kevin. Eyes looked to the clock as an exaperated Kevin left the table.
"Hmm, it's cutting it fine," said Horace. "Twenty says Gambit gets a chair thrown at him."
"I'll see that," said Reece. "I think he'll miss out on the chair tonight."
"Chair, and he'll get hit," said Frank.
They looked at him.
"Gambit never gets hit," Horace said.
"I'm just dat good," Gambit smirked. "Chair and a miss."
The game continued. An hour later, a drunken Kevin picked up a chair and threw it at Gambit. Gambit saw it coming and dodged it by leaning backwards. He was sitting on a stool, rather than a chair so without a back, Gambit had plent of room to lay flat while the chair sailed overhead. He sat up again like nothing had happened and placed his bet.
"Barney!" he called. "Yo' want t' add a chair t' Kevin's tab."
"Already done," Barney called back from the bar.
Gambit chuckled.
"You really need to stop doing that to Kevin," Reece said.
"Well, he should do somet'ing about his drunken chair throwing problem."
"Oh I see. You're helping him with his anger management."
"Oui," Gambit grinned at him.
"And I call," said Horace. "Two pair, King high."
"Full house," Frank announced smugly.
"Damn," Horace muttered.
"Pity," Gambit murmered. "All I've got is a straight."
Frank began to reach to the pot while Gambit revealed his hand.
"A straight flush dat is, Queen high."
Gambit smirked while Frank cursed him and reached to collect his winnings. As Frank pulled his hand back, Gambit noticed a ring on his finger with an insignia that looked rather familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Your mutant abilities wouldn't happen to help you cheat, would they?" Frank asked nastily.
"Not at all homme," Gambit replied. "I only blow t'ings up. Want a demonstration?"
"Not in my bar Gambit," Barney called from the bar.
Gambit chuckled. It wasn't until later that he thought he knew where the insignia was from. The Friends of Humanity.