Hey, I haven't written in awhile, so I figured I'd make my little author's note short and sweet. I don't own X-Men Evolution or any part of it (except my made-up characters). So just sit back and enjoy the fic. Reviews are welcome!
She left so that she could get away. She needed to escape, escape from the pressures of everyday life at the Institute, escape from the overwhelming presence of a mastermind, escape from the people who were there. The minute she had graduated from the high school, she left. Xavier had offered to pay for a nearby college where she could live at the Institute, but she'd hadn't accepted the offer. Instead, she had taken off and started to explore the US, earning money and finding herself.
But something had pulled her back. The death of one of her teammates. Probably the only one who had known what it felt like to be a rebellious teenager. The only one who had known what it was like to skip a class, to get an F, and to get drunk on the weekends. The only one with a real life. Evan.
"You're back," was the simple stated response when she had entered the Institute for the first time in three years. Kitty had answered the door, dressed in black. Her eyes were rimmed in red. She was experiencing sadness. Was it for the first time in the airhead's life?
"That I am," she responded. Kitty tried to place her arms around her, but she had stepped back. She wouldn't be allowing herself to become reattached to these people. She would be gone once the funeral was over.
"Rogue," she heard from behind her. Jean and Scott stepped off of the stairway and walked towards her. She shook her head slowly. They stopped.
"I don't go by Rogue anymore. That was my old life. I'm Marie now." Marie stated. Jean and Scott backed away. Marie guessed that she didn't even look like her old self anymore. She had long since discarded her Gothic attire, putting in its place shades of dark blue, purple, and black. Her face was unusually makeup free and her hair had lost its white touches. It was just red now.
"Ok, uh, Marie, the Professor wants to speak to you," Jean said. Marie couldn't look at them together with Jean's hand wrapped around Scott's. It brought back to many unpleasant memories from her unfortunate childhood. She could still remember those nights when they thought that nobody would notice when Jean didn't go back to her own room. She had, and it had made her want to leave even more.
"I'll go right up," Marie said. She didn't meet anybody's eyes as she climbed the stairs she hadn't touched in three years. The banisters felt dusty as she took the steps one by one. Slowly, she got to the door where the Professor's study was. She placed her hand on the doorknob, not knowing if she wanted to take off and run as far away as she could get. The primary reason she had left the first time was to escape the Professor. What was she doing walking right back his old traps?
"Come in," she heard from behind the door. She imagined that the Professor was probably grinning to himself, laughing about how she had hesitated. She finally mustered up the courage and opened the door. After stepping through it, she realized how much this very room was the same as it was three years ago.
"Hello," she said, her voice rising at the end of the simple word. The Professor gave an amused chuckle.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Rouge," he said, referring to her old name. Marie shook her head.
"I go by Marie now, please don't call me that," she informed him. The Professor gave another amused chuckle and nodded his head.
"I know that you're only here for the funeral, Marie," he started, "but I was hoping to persuade you to stay a bit longer. We have several new students who need a teacher. And besides that, everybody has missed you."
"I don't plan on staying," Marie started, "You think I don't know what's going on? I'm not in the crusade anymore; I'm off of the battlefield. I want to be a normal person with a normal life. I don't give a fuck about anybody but myself and you're so-called Institute just made me even more miserable."
"Marie, I'm not asking, this is a request," the Professor said. "I'm sure that you'll be glad to join us for a few months." Marie realized that he was trying to forcefully change her mind. It wouldn't work on her. She had gotten tips on mind barriers before she had come.
"Well, I'm refusing your request Professor." Marie said, "I'm done here." She turned around and placed her hand on the door. She could hear the Professor sigh behind her. She whirled around to face him. "I'm not part of your group anymore. I left behind the name Rogue when I left the Institute. I'll be here for the funeral and no longer." This time she confidently walked out of the room, leaving a now frustrated Professor behind. She didn't look back, just straight ahead at the décor of the mansion. People change, she thought, I sure have. But has anybody else?