"Don't say things'll get better cause they won't! You saw those kids that night when I had to absorb Logan's power, THEY WERE SCARED OF ME! And I'm just like them; I'm a mutant just like them!" A short one-shot revolving around Rogue and Storm. Rogue hears the news of the Cure and is desperate to get it but one person stands in her way; Storm. Storm tries to convince her that she's perfect just the way she is, but Rogue wants the cure and she's not going to let anyone stop her. Something that's been going around in my head for some time now and I finally wrote it down. I know I should be working on my other fanfic but...what can I say writer's block sucks! Read&Review please. Also, if I misplaced any info could you please tell me? I wasn't sure if this happened before or after the Bobby/Kitty scene so...yeah. :)
A/N: May turn into a 2 chapter story with the aftermaths of the Cure but for now it's just this, enjoy!
Gifts are given to us so we may use them to produce something good. But, what if instead, we resented the Giver and wished that we had never been given this gift at all? Would we, could we still produce something good? Or would it just aspire to be something hateful, like the person who wished to regift it? Most people accept their gifts as what they are and try to do something good, but some use their gifts to wreak evil. But, what about those of us who don't use our gifts at all? What happens to us? And just who decided that we should have a gift that we don't desire in the first place? Normality may seem boring to some, but to me it would be a very welcome gift.
I couldn't help myself, at least, that's what I told myself as I listened quietly at Professor Xavier's office door. On the news there was a story of the government making something like a cure for mutants, something to reverse the mutation gene. I could hear Professor Jean, Professor Storm, Professor Scott, and Logan voicing their outrage at such an idea from inside. Their disapproval, however, couldn't stop my heart from racing at such an idea. They could reverse what had happened to me? Without even thinking about what I was doing, I opened the door and hurried into the office.
"Is it true? Can they cure us?" Everyone in the office stared at me and each other at a loss for words. Finally the Professor spoke up.
"Yes, Rogue. It appears to be true." I couldn't hide my relief from them. But before I could speak up again, Storm cut in.
"No, Professor. They can't cure us. You want to know why? Because there's nothing to cure." She stood up and came over to me, putting her hands on my shoulders in a comforting way, but I didn't see it as such. She continued. "Nothing's wrong with you, or any of us for that matter." She looked at me with kind eyes, but I didn't want to hear any more of their "we're special" bullshit; I was getting that cure, and I wasn't going to let any of them stop me. I walked out of Professor X's office quicker and with more of a heavy heart then when I entered. I should've just stayed out. I shouldn't've gone in and blabbed my mouth off, now they all would be worried about me and that was the last thing they needed to be worried about. I nearly sobbed as I remembered the horrified way Logan stared at me, like I was giving up my life. But they just didn't understand; none of them did. I didn't fit in here, I just didn't belong. Sure they can put me in a suit and call me an X-Man, but on the inside I don't feel brave or heroic, just awkward and lonely. If I hadn't ever met Bobby then I probably wouldn't have any friends here, not like I had a heap of 'em now. But that wasn't important. Not to me anyway. What was important to me is that they don't understand anything about what I have to go through. Sure they went through the whole "I'm a mutant" scare thing too, but they could at least come into contact with someone without potentially killing them. Logan kept saying that I will learn how to control my power, but I've been working for hours every day and still nothing is in control. So, can you really blame me for being excited about a "cure"?
The hallway was nearly empty except for the footsteps I heard behind me, echoing my own. I was doing very well at ignoring the other person until I heard my name called.
"Rogue," Storm's voice had the authority tone to it so I immediately ceased my retreat and waited until she had caught up with me. She glanced at me, but I kept my eyes trained ahead of me, not meeting her gaze. We walked for a short time until we came to an empty staircase. I was going to continue down the hall but she sat down on the third stair and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit." I did as she told me to without speaking, I wasn't sure if I could without bursting into tears. When I was situated, she turned to me obviously ready to begin a lecture. Not wanting to hear it, I pretended to not notice her change in posture and became very interested in my shoelaces. Storm sighed and grabbed one of my gloved hands. "Rogue," this time it was gentler, more calming then commanding. I gave up my study of my laces and looked up into her face, keeping mine blank. "Rogue, you have to accept this change as something good, you can't just keep pushing it away." I stood up furiously, she didn't know how I felt; none of them did. I couldn't stop myself and soon, my voice was echoing loudly off the walls of the empty hallway.
"So what, I should just accept that I won't ever be able to touch anyone again? That hardly seems like something that can just magically happen overnight! None of you have to go through what I have to! You can touch people." I gestured helplessly, trying to make her understand. "You can touch people without hurting them. I would give anything to be able to do that. I can't even brush by someone without them stiffening like I'm gonna kill 'em! People are scared of me." At the last words, Storm's face fell.
"Rogue, I know things are rough now, but they'll get be…" I cut her off quickly.
"Don't say things'll get better cause they won't! You saw those kids that night when I had to absorb Logan's power, THEY WERE SCARED OF ME! And I'm just like them; I'm a mutant just like them!" Tears were streaming down my face now, but I couldn't stop. It was like someone had lit a fuse in me, and I was going off. "If there is something out there that can take this away from me, then I'm gonna take it! I don't wanna have to wear gloves and a scarf my whole life, I wanna touch people! I don't wanna scare people so badly that they won't even talk to me, it's just not fair!" I didn't care that I sounded like a whiny child; I wanted my life to be fair, to be normal. Storm stood up and grasped my shoulders, trying to calm me down.
"I know it's not fair, but a lot of these people here have had unfair lives just like you. You aren't the only one going through tough things here Rogue." I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. "And I will not allow you to go down there and get that cure; it could be contaminated for all we know. Or it could be a trap to lure mutants in. Rogue, you are not going it is way too dangerous." She sighed, trying to make me understand. I didn't, I couldn't. "I understand that you're upset, but right now you're not thinking clearly, you're acting this way out of spite, and you could be doing something you'll regret in the future. Are you sure this is even what you want?" I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her words. All I could see in my mind was Bobby on the ice with Kitty and my vision blurred with unshed tears. Storm reached out to embrace me but I sidestepped her and walked backwards away from the stairs.
"I'm getting that cure and you can't stop me." With that, I turned and ran down the hallway, almost certain I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't care. I was going to get the cure, and no one was going to get in my way.