She had been here before. The hall was dark and she could barely see her hands in front of her face. She heard voices echoing through the darkness, beckoning her to come closer and laughing softly. So many voices... She didn't want to be here, she knew what was coming, knew what would happen, and the thought of it made her sick.
Rogue felt the walls and rounded a corner. A dark figure stood before her in the shadows. The room started to lighten, casting an eerie glow over everything. The figure was revealed to be one of her teammates. She recognized him by the signature ruby quartz lenses. "Cyclops, you shouldn't be here," she warned. Suddenly, he moved forward. "Get down," he rasped, looking behind her at an unseen enemy. Rogue whirled around to see her attacker, only to have Cyclops pull her back. However, the instant his hand touched her, the life was sucked from his body and he fell to the floor, a dried up husk.
She heard a sob behind her, "My God Rogue! How could you? He was just trying to help!"
"Jean, Ah didn't mean..."
"He was just trying to help," she mutter again between tears. Jean Grey's head jerked up. "How could you?!" she demanded again and rushed for Rogue's throat. As Jean's hands made contact, Rogue could feel the tug of her powers. She watched, helpless, as her longtime friend whithered away. She started to cry.
"Cryin' won't bring 'em back chere."
"Remy?"
"You been tryin' too hard."
"What....Where are you?"
"You just gotta relax, let t'ings take dere course."
"Gambit, what are you talking about?"
The Cajun stepped out of the shadows. He wore his signature brown duster and carried a long, metal staff. A cigarette dangled precariously out of his mouth. "You've been tryin' to reign yo powers in. Just let 'em flow chere. Let t'ings happen."
"Remy, you know Ah can't do that! Ah could kill someone!"
"You won't. But, if you did, wouldn't it be worth it?"
"What? NO!"
"Trust me, chere. Just let 'em flow." He stepped towards her. She tried to back away, but found herself against a wall.
"Remy, no!" she cried.
He took the cigarette from his mouth and leaned in. "Just let 'em flow...." and kissed her. She felt the pull again. Stronger than it had ever been. She could feel Gambit's body becoming hollow, emptying into her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing. Then suddenly, she was sinking, deep into the ground beneath her. She felt hands pulling on her. She looked down and saw the faces of her fellow X-men, grotesque and decayed by time. Down, down she went, drifting into the endless din. A thousand voices clamored to be heard, but she felt, empty, alone. So this was the end....
Rogue awoke and screamed. The sound reached to the far reaches of the mansion and echoed back to her. She sat there, wide eyed, trying to determine what had just happened. Over her labored breathing she could hear the shuffling of people down the hall. It would be her teammates, her fellow mutants that she had spent so much of her life with. They were the last people she wanted to see right now.
Someone tapped faintly on the door. "Rogue?" came a voice. She recognized it as Jean's.
Oh God, she thought. Why did it have to be her?
When she didn't answer, the tall redhead gently pushed the door open. "Rogue?" she asked again. "Is everything alright?"
Rogue stared at her blankly, the blankets clutched protectively around her. Then the other X-men started to file in the room, all with startled and weary looks on their faces.
"Anybody wanna tell me what's goin' on here?" a gruff voice demanded. She identified it as Logan's.
Rogue suddenly realized where she was and what was going on. She recognized the faces of Scott Summers (codename Cyclops), Jean Grey-Summers (codename Phoenix), Dr. Henry McCoy (codename Beast), Logan (codename Wolverine), and Remy Lebeau (codename Gambit). She knew other members of the various teams would be down here soon.
Gambit looked at her. "Everyt'ing alright chere?"
"Yeah," she finally replied. "Just a dream. I need some air..."
"Rogue..." Jean started. Rogue turned to her with a look that would have made Magneto flinch. Jean fell back with the other X-men and made a path for her. Rogue passed them without a second glance and staight out the door.
A few minutes later, the other X-men came to the congregation. A few students had poked their heads out of their rooms but quickly ducked back when they saw the looks on their teachers faces. Storm was the first to say anything.
"I believe I will go speak to her."
"I don't think she wants to talk to anybody 'Roro," Logan commented.
"It is not a matter of want, Logan. It is a matter of need." With that she wrapped her dressing gown tighter about her and followed Rogue's path out the door.
Rogue felt the walls and rounded a corner. A dark figure stood before her in the shadows. The room started to lighten, casting an eerie glow over everything. The figure was revealed to be one of her teammates. She recognized him by the signature ruby quartz lenses. "Cyclops, you shouldn't be here," she warned. Suddenly, he moved forward. "Get down," he rasped, looking behind her at an unseen enemy. Rogue whirled around to see her attacker, only to have Cyclops pull her back. However, the instant his hand touched her, the life was sucked from his body and he fell to the floor, a dried up husk.
She heard a sob behind her, "My God Rogue! How could you? He was just trying to help!"
"Jean, Ah didn't mean..."
"He was just trying to help," she mutter again between tears. Jean Grey's head jerked up. "How could you?!" she demanded again and rushed for Rogue's throat. As Jean's hands made contact, Rogue could feel the tug of her powers. She watched, helpless, as her longtime friend whithered away. She started to cry.
"Cryin' won't bring 'em back chere."
"Remy?"
"You been tryin' too hard."
"What....Where are you?"
"You just gotta relax, let t'ings take dere course."
"Gambit, what are you talking about?"
The Cajun stepped out of the shadows. He wore his signature brown duster and carried a long, metal staff. A cigarette dangled precariously out of his mouth. "You've been tryin' to reign yo powers in. Just let 'em flow chere. Let t'ings happen."
"Remy, you know Ah can't do that! Ah could kill someone!"
"You won't. But, if you did, wouldn't it be worth it?"
"What? NO!"
"Trust me, chere. Just let 'em flow." He stepped towards her. She tried to back away, but found herself against a wall.
"Remy, no!" she cried.
He took the cigarette from his mouth and leaned in. "Just let 'em flow...." and kissed her. She felt the pull again. Stronger than it had ever been. She could feel Gambit's body becoming hollow, emptying into her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing. Then suddenly, she was sinking, deep into the ground beneath her. She felt hands pulling on her. She looked down and saw the faces of her fellow X-men, grotesque and decayed by time. Down, down she went, drifting into the endless din. A thousand voices clamored to be heard, but she felt, empty, alone. So this was the end....
Rogue awoke and screamed. The sound reached to the far reaches of the mansion and echoed back to her. She sat there, wide eyed, trying to determine what had just happened. Over her labored breathing she could hear the shuffling of people down the hall. It would be her teammates, her fellow mutants that she had spent so much of her life with. They were the last people she wanted to see right now.
Someone tapped faintly on the door. "Rogue?" came a voice. She recognized it as Jean's.
Oh God, she thought. Why did it have to be her?
When she didn't answer, the tall redhead gently pushed the door open. "Rogue?" she asked again. "Is everything alright?"
Rogue stared at her blankly, the blankets clutched protectively around her. Then the other X-men started to file in the room, all with startled and weary looks on their faces.
"Anybody wanna tell me what's goin' on here?" a gruff voice demanded. She identified it as Logan's.
Rogue suddenly realized where she was and what was going on. She recognized the faces of Scott Summers (codename Cyclops), Jean Grey-Summers (codename Phoenix), Dr. Henry McCoy (codename Beast), Logan (codename Wolverine), and Remy Lebeau (codename Gambit). She knew other members of the various teams would be down here soon.
Gambit looked at her. "Everyt'ing alright chere?"
"Yeah," she finally replied. "Just a dream. I need some air..."
"Rogue..." Jean started. Rogue turned to her with a look that would have made Magneto flinch. Jean fell back with the other X-men and made a path for her. Rogue passed them without a second glance and staight out the door.
A few minutes later, the other X-men came to the congregation. A few students had poked their heads out of their rooms but quickly ducked back when they saw the looks on their teachers faces. Storm was the first to say anything.
"I believe I will go speak to her."
"I don't think she wants to talk to anybody 'Roro," Logan commented.
"It is not a matter of want, Logan. It is a matter of need." With that she wrapped her dressing gown tighter about her and followed Rogue's path out the door.