Cyclops trains alone in the Danger Room. He complains that Gambit is going too easy on him from the control room. Gambit prepares the next round when he receives a phone call. “Remy?” a voice inquires. Shocked Gambit accidentally knocks the danger level to maximum. Cyclops is attacked by a robotic Apocalypse, Juggernaut, Mr. Sinister, and Omega Red; but Gambit is distracted by the phone call.

“It’s your brother,” the voice warns. “He’s missin’, and if he isn’t there with the tithe you know what’s gonna happen.”

Cyclops is overwhelmed by the training sequence. He screams for Gambit to stop. Fortunately Rogue notices Cyclops’s predicament and rushes to the control room and ends the program. She demands an explanation from Gambit. He ignores her and replies, “I gotta go cher. They’re going to waste my brother.”

Jean and Rogue check on Cyclops while Gambit leaves in an X-Jet for the swamps of Louisiana. On his way home, Gambit recalls his youth with his brother and the Thieves Guild. Every ten years they and their rivals the Assassins Guild would offer a tithe to a mystic woman named the External. Gambit remembers the most recent time when the External was unsatisfied with the Thieves Guild’s tithe and killed their “chosen one” Bernard. Then new chosen ones were selected by the External to present the tithe in another decade. From the Assassins –Belladonna, Remy’s old fiancée—and from the Thieves –Bobby Lebeau, his brother.

Again in the present, Gambit shudders to think what would happen to Bobby if he failed to present the tithe.

Back at the mansion Cyclops recuperates from his mishap. Rogue and Jean discuss Gambit’s hasty disappearance. Rogue admits that she didn’t know Gambit cared much for his family or that he even had one.

In Louisiana Remy meets up with the person who called him, his guild-mate Pierre. Pierre explains the situation: Bobby has been kidnapped along with the tithe by the Assassins. Gambit is furious. He insists that the Thieves/Assassins enmity is pointless and nobody even remembers how it started. Pierre replies that the Assassins don’t want to kill Bobby, they want to trade him for Remy.

Later Jean, Rogue, and Wolverine trace the signal on Gambit’s X-Jet and follow him via the Blackbird; but when they land Wolverine cannot track Remy because he and Pierre traveled by boat.

Remy enters the headquarters of the Assassins Guild unaccosted. He is expected. There he sees his brother Bobby, but instead of a happy reunion they argue. Bobby is angry that Remy abandoned him for the X-Men, and Remy is mad that Bobby introduced him to the guild. Remy remarks that Bobby should take the tithe and go. Bobby says she has it.

“She?”

Belladonna steps in to the room wearing an aged wedding dress. Gambit is surprised to see his former lover. She was also unhappy with Gambit deserting her… on their wedding day. Gambit insists that the warring guilds never would have let them be happy. Belladonna shows that she still wears Remy’s ring. She offers one to him. If he wears it his no-account brother may leave with the tithe. Remy accepts and Bobby leaves after a terse farewell. Suddenly Gambit falls to the ground and writhes in pain. Belladonna has trapped him. She warns Gambit that he will not leave her again.

Rogue flies Logan and Jean to Gambit’s old house which is also the Thieves Guild’s base of operations. The suspicious guild attacks the X-Men but is summarily defeated. Bobby’s return prevents further violence. He explains that Remy came and made the switch. Wolverine angrily replies that Gambit isn’t a piece of currency to be passed around. Logan demands to see him. Bobby remarks that Belladonna will bring him to the ceremony.

Rogue asks who Belladonna is, and she’s visibly shocked when Bobby answers, “His woman.”

Elsewhere, Gambit looks at himself in the mirror. He wears a suit instead of his trademark trench coat. Remy insists to Belladonna that the Thieves will never allow their marriage. Then Belladonna reveals the duplicitous nature of their prior exchange. The tithe she gave Bobby was a fake. All of the Thieves Guild will be destroyed tonight.

At the place of the External ceremony, the Thieves with their tithe and X-Men nervously await Belladonna the Assassins. They emerge with Remy in tow. Belladonna happily introduces him as the guild’s newest member. Rogue is distraught until Gambit warns the Thieves about the fake tithe.

This triggers an all-out melee. First, Belladonna activates Gambit’s ring so he crumbles over in pain. Then, Rogue tackles Belladonna but she responds by blasting Rogue through a few trees. Next, Wolverine tries to cut Remy’s ring off, but he is electrocuted also. Finally, the two guilds pull weapons on another and prepare to shoot. To calm the fiasco Jean telekinetically takes their firearms; but the guilds just fight hand-to-hand.

Rogue and Belladonna continue their catfight. Bella taunts, “Remy’s kissed many women but loves only me.” Wolverine tries to sneak up on Belladonna, but she surprises him with an energy blast. Jean reminds Logan that they need to worry about the real tithe to save the thieves. Wolverine retorts, “I don’t care what spirit lady’s do what to which Cajuns. I’m here to stop a wedding.”

The entire scene settles when the External appears. She instantly recognizes the Thieves fake tithe. She is about to disintegrate the thieves when Jean telepathically reveals Belladonna’s treachery. Enraged the External commands the thieves to pass sentence on Belladonna and the assassins.

Bobby demands their destruction; but Gambit prudently suggests that they only lose their powers and their lives be spared. The External accepts this sentence and disappears.

Afterwards Belladonna begs Gambit not to leave. He replies, “I am neither thief nor assassin. I’m an assassin, and I’m never coming back.”

Once back home in Westchester, Cyclops wonders with Jean why Gambit did not initially trust them to help.

In the Savage Land, Magneto and Xavier observe the destruction of a Fall People’s village. Magnus bemoans the village’s fate. Then Barbarus ambushes them. Still powerless, Magneto and Xavier use their wits and a conveniently placed beehive to escape.