It was a cold autumn day in the town of Little Whinging the small town was enjoying the day as the sun was shining, a rarity and the people were taking advantage of it.
One individual was however looking around with a pair of dark sunglasses, a brown leather jacket on her thin frame, her hands covered in black leather gloves. She wore under the jacket a long-sleeved green blouse over a black halter top, a short black leather skirt and black leggings. Her large brown boots crushed the down leaves. She had dog collars around her neck and wrists.
She held a bag with one arm and was gazing around with narrowed eyes. Her auburn hair had grown over the years and she still had her white streaks as bangs in the front to highlight her pale face down her face. Her name was Rouge and was an X-Men.
There were rumors of a new mutant around town and the professor had asked her to go and see if she could give him some help. She looked down at her bag. "Let's see. Brochure for the school, Check. Infinitive of mutants, check. And a bottle of aspirin if things go wrong, oh thank you- check." She said nodding as she seemed to have everything.
She took a deep sigh and shook her head. "Relax girl. You can do this, the professor's counting on you." She said softly to herself.
"Where did he say the kid was at?" she asked and pulled out a paper from her pocket. "Number Four Privet Drive?"
She nodded. "Right...Now where's Privet Drive at...?"
After some time of walking, she finally managed to find the area she was looking for. "There we go!" She said in content. She then whistled. "Whoo...These houses all look the same...It's a nice little place and all, but...I wonder if it's some kinda cult."
Shaking her head, the young woman walked forward. "Ah well, no time to think about it. Just focus on findin' the kid and everything'll be fine."
Number Four Privet Drive soon appeared in her line of sight. "Bingo." She said with a smirk, crossing her arms.
She approached the house and took a deep breath. 'You can do this.' She nodded to herself and knocked on the door. She plastered on her best smile and tried to look as presentable as she could. She was representing the School after all.
Her smile was almost wiped off her face when the door opened and a very large man walked out. He was dressed like he just got home and his scowl made the woman's want to punch him. He gave her a once over witch made her skin crawl and his scowl deepened. "Who are you?" he asked rudely.
Rouge gave a slight cough witch she covered with her hand. "My name, is Rouge I am an advisor for a school for the gifted." She explained.
The man's face did a one eighty almost instantly. "Really?!" He opened the door wider "Come in come in! I just knew my little man was special." He said with a sickening smile.
Rouge gave him a hesitant smile and walked in holding her bag in front of herself.
"Petunia get some tea for the nice girl!" he shouted out to the kitchen where too Rouge's shock a human like horse stuck her head out and gave the girl a disapproving look.
"Who is she?" she asked snidely.
Vernon grinned nervously. "This is an advisor for the SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED." He said through gritted teeth. Petunia blinked.
"Oh! Oh yes, of course! Hello there!" She greeted, totally changing her tune. "Please, please, have a seat! I'll be with you in just a moment!"
Rogue frowned. "Uh...Thanks." She said, perplexed by their sudden 180 in behaviour. She took a seat on the couch.
Vernon sat next to her. "So, what is this school about, exactly?"
Rouge gave him a professional smile. "Well. It's a school for the gifted, for the ones who are a…bit extra special." She said.
"Of course, you won't find anyone more gifted then our little man!" he praised with a content smile.
Petunia smiled as she entered the room and laid down a tray with glasses of tea. "Here you go dear." She said just as sickly sweet as her husband much to Rouges annoyance. The x-man smiled at them and took a sip of the tea and wanted to gag.
She placed on a fake smile though and gave her a nod. "Thank you." She placed the cup down. "So…when did you know your child was special?" she asked.
"Oh ever since he was born we knew from the start he was going to be something else." Petunia said with a proud grin.
Rouge nodded her head yet she was perplexed. 'They seem really excepting of him it would seem' she thought a tad bitter. She had long gotten over her past but it still stung slightly whenever it was brought up.
"What are some things your son has done?" she asked wanting to get a good grip on his abilities.
"Well, the boy's brilliant at Cricket. Practices his swings all the time. He also has a true way with words, and-"
"No, I mean his mutant powers."
The room ran cold. Rogue shivered.
"...What did you say?" Vernon asked coldly. Rogue quirked her brow.
"Mutant...powers?" She replied, confused by the sudden behavior shift.
"Are son is no mutant!" Vernon said sternly his eyes narrowed into a glare. Petunia was also giving the girl a dirty look as well.
'I guess they aren't as excepting as I thought' Rough thought to herself, "Now listen…I know it can be a bit hard-"
"Our son is not one of those freaks!" the man shouted at her his anger starting to be shown.
Rouge held her tongue back at that remark, too many times had her friends and herself been called that. "Sir please calm down. Your son has a gift and getting angry over it-"
"Our Dudley does not have any of those freakish powers!"
Rogue quirked her brow. "Dudley?" She asked. "No, I'm not here for any Dudley. I'm here for Harry!" She replied. Vernon's eyes widened and his face turned purple.
"Get out." He spat. Rogue frowned.
"Beg pardon?" She asked.
"I said GET OUT!"
"Now wait just a minute here!" Rogue snapped, standing up. "I ain't leaving this place 'till I have the kid, you hear?!"
"I SAID GET OUT!" the man shouted at her standing from his seat as well.
Rouge narrowed her eyes at him. "Not until you tell me where he is!" she demanded. She was now having a very bad feeling about these people.
"NOT HERE!" the man walked over and grabbed her arm in a vice like grip and tried to force her out but found that he could not move her. He looked up at her narrowed eyes.
"I can save yawl the trouble and say I'm not moving." She said stern. She tore her arm from his grip easily and glared at the pair. "Now. Where is he? I know he's here!" she demanded.
Vernon scowled. "You FREA-"
Rogue slapped him. Hard. He went sailing into a wall, causing it to crack. Petunia screeched in horror. Rogue put her hands on her hips. "Now I warned you two, didn't I?" She said, eyes narrowed. "Ya'll best get to talkin' or else you'll end up like your pet walrus over there."
"The cupboard..." Petunia whimpered, falling onto the couch. "Under the stairs...PLEASE don't hurt me!" Rogue smirked.
"All righty then." She replied calmly, walking away. "Mighty nice doin' business with ya!" She left the living room, leaving Petunia to tend to her injured husband, then looked to see a small cupboard under the stairs. "Now why would any kid wanna play in a place like that?" She mumbled to herself. Then, she pulled it open...
"WHAT IN TARNATION?!"
When the door was open, a horrible smell entered her nostrils, and the image of a small trembling child was in the far corner trying not to be seen. He had flinched at her tone and had lowered his head to his knees and tried to hold back a scared whimper but he failed.
Rouge was frozen in place, her eyes wide with shock and horror at the small child. Soon the shock faded away to cold rage, she was about to march back into the room when she heard his scared whimper. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
She knelt down to his level. "Hey there." She said as softly as she could. Yet the boy still flinched at her voice. Her face dropped into a sad frown. "My names Rouge what's yours Sugar?" ,
The boy looked up and she saw pained filled yet confused emerald eyes. "H…Harry"
Rogue gave him a small smile. "Harry, huh? Nice name you got there." She said with a smile. "My name's Anne Marie." She winked. "But everyone just calls me Rogue."
"R-Rogue...?" He asked softly. Rogue nodded.
"That's right, hun." She replied. "Now you just wait here...I've gotta go deal with a snake."
"A snake...? In the house...?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. Been here a LONG time." Rogue nodded.
Rogue stood back up and marched her way back into the living room. She saw the horse woman helping her husband into a chair. Her eyes narrowed angrily and she marched over to her.
Petunia heard her approaching and turned only to be griped by the throat and lifted up into the air with surprising strength. Petunia gazed down at angry grey-green eyes.
"You like hurting little boys huh?" she hissed out.
"Please…please don't" she choked out.
"You have any idea how much I wanna smack that head of yours right off your pencil neck?" Rogue growled. "Trust me...I wanna do it A LOT."
"No, you can't..." Petunia whimpered. "Please..."
"You don't go whimpering and whining now." Rogue said. "You deserve everything bad that ever happens to ya. What'd that kid ever do to you, huh?"
"We-We never wanted him...We don't care for his kind...We...We just didn't want him..."
"So that gives you the right to hurt him!?" Rogue hissed at her.
"He-He needed to know…his place…" she stammered and she choked as the girl's grip tightened around her neck.
"You are scum!" she hissed at her, "You know, since you don't want him, I'll take him!" she threw the woman down to the ground hard making her yelp in pain. "I'll take him and you will never see him again." She said and turned around to walk when she saw Harry standing there with wide eyes staring up at her.
"You…want me…?" he asked his voice close to breaking.
Rogue sighed and smiled gently. "Well sure thing, kid." She said gently as she approached, crouching down to his level. "C'mon over here, lemme get a look at ya."
Harry approached slowly and timidly, unsure of whether or not to trust her.
Rogue smiled. "Well ain't you just the cutest thing I've ever seen?" She asked. Harry blushed.
"I...I'm not..." He replied.
"Aw, don't be like that." Rogue replied.
Harry shook his head slightly. "No…I'm an ugly freak." He said softly his crack in his voice audible to all.
Rogue clenched her fists in anger but took a deep breath to relax. "Nah. You aren't a freak." She said softly. "Those two however are." She said pointing behind her.
Harry blinked and looked over at his aunt and sleeping uncle. "They…are?"
Rouge smiled and nodded. "Yup. How often do you see a giant walrus and thin horse?" she smirked.
Harry thought about it before letting out a soft giggle. They DO look like them!
Petunia narrowed her eyes. "Now see here, boy-"
"What are you gonna do about it, huh?" Rogue asked sternly. "I'll beat you down if you try anything funny." Petunia snarled.
"You...You hussy!"
"Rather be a hussy than a horse." Rogue shrugged. "'Sides, I've been called worse."
Harry blinked up at her and limped over to her and tugged on her pants. Rouge blinked and looked down at him. "Please don't hurt them…" he said softly
Rouge stared at him with wide eyes before letting out a sigh wile shaking her head. "You are going to fit right in back home." She said leaning down and picking him up in her arms. He let out a squeak that made the southern bell want to kiss his head but she couldn't.
She had gotten used to most of her abilities but her natural power was still something she was working on. She still despised it but at the same time she did not let it be her burden alone. She patted his head and smiled at him.
She gave the horse a stern glare. "I'll leave you with this. The little boy you never wanted, the little boy who you no doubt tormented, does not want to see you hurt. He is more human then you will ever be." She said sternly and walked to the door while picking up her bag along the way. "Have a good rest of your day." She said sternly before slamming the door closed making cracks appear on the walls.
She smiled in satisfaction when she heard Petunia crying in fear. "Land sake's that felt good..." She muttered. She looked down at Harry. "So, sugar, what makes you special?" He looked down.
"I...I do freaky things..."
"Yeah? Me too."
"R-Really...?"
"All the time, sugar."
Harry looked up at her with wide eyes. "Y-you turn things different color and make things float?" he asked.
Rouge chuckled at him and shook her head. "No. But I know a friend that dose." She winked at him making him smile slightly. "Nah what I can do is…well this." Rouge kicked off and started to hover in the air causing the boys eyes to widen.
"You…can fly…" he said amazed.
Rouge smirked at him and lifted up higher into the air before taking off at a nice pace for both of them. "We aren't that different Harry." She said making him look up at her with wide eyes. "We have powers that can be scary. Yet, I know where we can go to help you with it." She said with a smile.
Harry looked up at her with slight hope. "You do?"
Rouge nodded with a smile. "I do." She looked up and a black jet materialized over the sky. "It's your new home sugar."