Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. X-Men the movie/James Cameron's 'Dark Angel'. AU/crossover.
Starts off during the last episode of Dark Angel - 'Freak Nation'
Summary: The government created them, nurtured and trained them for one purpose but now in a broken world they are being hunted. Follow the trials of a people who struggle for the same dream - Freedom.
Terminal City - Revised
It had been thirteen years since her adoptive father, Charles Xavier and her mutant family had been gunned down by the Military; the Government. The unforeseen attack on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was the first phase of purging the world of the mutant race. Within a time span of five years the Government had almost succeeded only but a few survived.
&
Westchester, NY. 2008
She recalled the week before the siege; her father had sat her down and expressed to her his fears of their continued existence; particularly her future. She was shocked to learn that he had liquidated the majority of his assets, amounting to a grand total of more than fifty million US dollars which he immediately had hidden in a small cabin somewhere up in Canada.
"Ah-Ah don't understand…" she stammered. His words had scared her.
"Marie, do you remember the day I explained to you about the people you were lead to believe to be your parents were in fact a part of a secret government organization?" At her slow nod Charles continued. "Those people and others just like them-I fear they may have found you, that's why I took… certain measures to insure that you will be safe and live comfortably. I know it is hard for you to understand right now-" The Professor stopped when he glanced back at the young girl seated in front of his desk and noticed her tear filled eyes.
"Come to me child" he cooed gently as he held his arms out wide. He pulled the fourteen year old on to his lap, cradling her to his chest. "I do not mean to frighten you but… we must face the reality of the situation, that one day I may not be here for you."
"B-but Ah don't want ta leave…" she whispered sadly.
"I know. I would give anything to keep you with me but I will not risk it." He gently stroked her silky long hair as she cried. "Ssh… it will be alright Marie. In a few days you will leave for Canada with Logan, he will protect you child."
&
Five days after leaving Xavier's, Logan and Marie were already half way to their destination, they had been on the road for fifteen hours straight before he decided to stop in at a motel for the night.
"Hey kid, you feel like pizza tonight? I think there's a hockey game on too."
"Sure Logan. Ah… do ya mind if Ah have a shower or do ya wanna go first?"
"Nah kid I can wait, you go right ahead I'll go get our pizza."
"Kay." Marie gathered a clean pair of under garments, pyjama-bottoms, socks, elbow length gloves and her favourite blue long sleeved shirt she used regularly for sleepwear.
Twenty minutes after washing her self thoroughly and changing into clean clothes she left the steamy bathroom to find her travelling-buddy sprawled out on the king size bed watching the game. He had a slice of pizza in one hand and a bottle of Molson's in the other.
"Hey, the bathroom's free now."
"Right, thanks kid." He grunted before he chugged down the last of his beer.
"Is it a good game?" she asked as she packed her dirty clothes into a plastic bag before she returned them to her duffel. Walking over to the bed she sat down and started to eat.
"Nah not really, you can change it over if ya want" He said before he gathered a change of clothes and headed for the shower.
After the bathroom door closed Rogue slowly flicked through the TV channels, trying to find something worth watching. She stopped when a news report flashed across the screen.
"… Witnesses say they heard fireworks going off early this morning but reports have just come in that Xavier's School for Gifted Youngster's came under heavy-fire shortly after 3:00am this morning. It is believed that Xavier's had been a school for mutants and most reports state that they were just children but others report, it's a school for terrorists in training. There were also reports of no known survivors. This assault came after the Mutant legislation bill had passed; it stated that all mutants were to be rounded up for registration immediately before..." she couldn't believe what she was hearing or seeing; they were showing shocking scenes of the mansion half in ruins and the rest of it was completely engulfed in flames then she noticed dark lumps spread out around the estate's expanse grounds.
A few seconds later she realized what they were."Oh god... LOGAN!"
&
Ten minutes earlier…
He'd been thinking about what they would do once they reached Alberta, Charles had told him of what he knew of Marie's past and that he feared that 'they' would find her. There was a lot that the Professor hadn't spoken of with his adopted daughter but he trusted the Canadian to keep her safe.
Logan was shocked when the Professor basically said that Marie had originated from a test-tube in some government lab and had been housed in Mississippi with her so-called parents.
The Professor wasn't able to obtain any more information on the government's intentions for Marie or what she was created for that made her so special but Logan knew it was something big especially since he noticed that a black SUV with government-plates had been following them up until a day ago.
He thought it was best not to scare the girl so he kept that bit of information to himself, he also decided once they were situated that he'd start to train her in weaponry since she had already excelled in hand-to-hand combat including every dirty fighting trick he knew.
'Yeah that's what we'll do' he mused. He finished rinsing his scruffy dark tresses when he was alerted by Marie's screams.
While forgetting to rap himself in a towel he threw open the bathroom door.
'SNIKT'
Three nine inch metal-like claws shot out from between his knuckles on each hand, he tilted his head to the side, nostrils flaring trying to pin-point the enemy but what he found was a small trembling form with a red puffy tear stained face huddled in the corner of the motel room. Logan quickly re-sheathed his claws and slowly approached the sobbing teen.
"Marie-darlin' what's the matter? Why are…"
"T-they… dead… C-Char… gone…" she couldn't stop crying, Logan wasn't quite sure what she was trying to say, only about something being dead.
"Baby, who's dead?" he asked slowly as he gently gathered her against his heavily muscled chest.
"The news said… they're all d-dead Logan… C-Charles a-and the others are dead. They showed pictures… body parts everywhere and the school it's b-burning. T-The legislation bill has passed. They're… rounding u-up all m-mutants Logan. What are we gunna do?"
"Ssh baby ssh…" He didn't bother wiping away the tears that started to trickle down his rugged features.
They were all dead, god this was a bloody nightmare. He wasn't sure how long they stayed there clinging to each other or what they would do next now that the Professor's worst fears had become a reality.
Gazing down at his distraught charge, he wondered how much more they could deal with before they both cracked. He remembered when they first met, she was only twelve years old at the time and she'd been hiding in his trailer and then there was the incident with him stabbing her through the chest with his claws not to mention the Liberty Island fiasco and finally losing Jean last year on a rescue mission at Alkali Lake; to sum it all up, it was devastating.
It was fuckin' endless, one disaster after the bloody other and now the people they both had come to care for as if a part of their one big happy family, were dead. They only had each other now; he remembered the promise he made to his little Marie not long after they first met and now he'd live up to that promise no matter what happened even if it meant his life… once again.
&
Alberta, Canada. 2009
"Happy birthday kid" he said as he placed a small black velvet box in front of the now wide-eyed teen before he sat in the chair opposite hers.
"Oh Logan… sugah ya didn't have ta get me anythin'. Ah mean Ah wasn't expectin' nothin' and all..."
"Hey, I wanted ya ta have this Marie, your only fifteen once right? And ya deserve ta have a birthday with presents like everyone else so stop arguin' and open it." he finished gruffly.
He watched as his eager young charge gently grasped her present and slowly lifted the lid, she gasped in surprise. There set on a cushion of dark emerald green sat a square piece of silver metal with intricate engraved letters upon it.
"It's adamantium and-well I knew how much you liked my dog-tags before so I thought I'd get ya one of your own." Marie stared at the tag that had her code name on it before she flipped the smooth piece of metal over and read the inscription.
'Eternally Yours' It was signed with three distinct and familiar marks as if Logan had done it with his claws, a reminder.
Logan gazed into her chocolate brown eyes; he saw many emotions flicker within those warm mysterious orbs, tears slipped down her flushed cheeks as she stood from her chair and closed the gap between them. She kneeled down before him and gently cupped his ruggedly handsome and hairy face with gloved hands whilst staring deeply into his beautiful hazel eyes.
"Ah want ta thank ya for everythin' you've done for me, for taking care of me… Ah never believed t-that Ah'd ever have someone lahke you in my life, Ah never thought it was possible but you're here with me. You're my best friend Logan and… Ah-Ah love you." her warm, sincere and caring words overwhelmed his ability to respond.
He had never in all of his life that he could remember, had such heart felt words directed at his person and damn it felt so good; especially coming from her, the beauty with the two shocking white streaks and kind innocent eyes the one he couldn't imagine life without. Marie, his Marie; the Rogue.
She carefully rapped her arms around his neck allowing her long auburn tresses to slide forward to cover the side of her face before she laid her head against his broad shoulder. Without a moments hesitation two well muscled arms engulfed her lithe form, unconsciously he tightened his grip around her and gently nuzzled the back of her neck through her shirt.
"I love ya too Marie." he whispered softly as he took in her sweet familiar scent. God, she had remembered those words, the ones that she would treasure forever.
&
Alberta, Canada. 2021- Present day
"Rogue, can I ask you something?"
"Sure sugah." She answered softly as she gazed at the place she had once called home when she and Logan had stayed here.
Two weeks earlier Rogue had travelled back to Westchester, New York to see the ruins of the once beautiful and majestic mansion that had stood proudly many years ago before she returned to Canada.
"What… was it like to have a family? People that loved you unconditionally?" the curious X5 asked as she stared at the woman beside her.
"Well, it was… it was incredible. A wonderful feelin', like what we feel for each other now. My mutant family gave me more than Ah could have ever asked for or dreamed of having and Ah'm glad that Ah had that, even if it was only for a little while. Now, Ah've been blessed with another family and with a little one on the way. What more could Ah ask for?" Rogue smiled sincerely at the pretty red head as she gently cupped her best friend's heavily pregnant stomach.
Gem gazed at the Alpha female, her best friend, her sister. She knew everything about this woman including the horrific experiments they had performed on her when they recaptured her back in 09, not to mention the two years Rogue or X5-5473 had spent on and off again in Psy-Ops before they indoctrinated her into full Manticore training.
"Thanks Rogue." Marie stared openly at the transgenic before her. It had been nine months since they had escaped Manticore. She remembered the night that she and Gem had barely made it out before they found themselves with another transgenic and later a trans-human.
During the first couple of weeks there was still a lot of confusion of what went wrong at their so-called 'home'. One minute everything was as usual and then in the next they were being burned alive not to mention she was still dealing with her little problem of being in heat.
Sometime during those confusing weeks of what to do or where to go, their first decision was to stay together which they all readily agreed too.
The four of them decided that instead of using their designations that it was best to have names. There was Gem an X5, Dalton an X6 and Rogue also being an X5… well with the slight difference of the mutant gene being apart of her D.N.A as well as a few enhancements. She had named the trans-human Sabre.
Sabre had a bit too much lion D.N.A in his cocktail but his intimidating appearance never fazed them even when they first met. He reminded her so much of a mutant from her past named Victor Creed, code name; Sabretooth.
His physical features were almost an exact copy of the mutant that had once held her captive as a child but without the claws. He had an almost maternal nature towards the group, the ones he called his unit or family but he was also a fierce opponent if there was ever a threat.
She was bought out of her reverie by her friend's next question.
"Do you want me to come in with you?"
"No but Ah'll call if Ah need any help."
It had been twelve years since she had last seen the place, by the look of it now she could see the foundations were barely stable and by the surrounding shrubs and trees that were once maintained had almost completely covered the place.
So many memories of that one year she had spent in hiding with the gruff Canadian, that one year of cherished memories that she held deep within her heart suddenly bought on the prickling sensation of tears to her dark orbs.
She remembered the training sessions Logan had put her through but she had never once complained and they were nothing compared to Manticore's. At night he would tell her of all the different places he had travelled to and all the cage fights he had participated in and of course the Wolverine, the 'King' of the cage had never been defeated.
&
A short time later Rogue carefully entered the rickety old cabin, everything inside was falling apart and carpeted with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. She slowly walked the short distance to the main bedroom; not wanting anymore memories to resurface, she hurriedly moved the queen size bed to the side so she could access the hidden trapdoor below.
After breaking the double locks and opening the trapdoor, Rogue came to a special control panel; she quickly punched in the cryptic code Charles and Logan had especially set for her. Seconds later she heard a long grinding sound that came from the large walk-in robe a few feet away.
She gracefully made her way to the second larger trapdoor; she broke the locks and opened it to reveal a small set of stairs. Not needing any sort of light, Marie carefully descended into the darkness below. She stood within the small hidden room, looking around to see fifty or so large duffel bags stacked in a neat pile; there was one in particular that caught her eye.
Slowly approaching it she immediately knew what it was, there on the dusty bag sat an equally dusty black velvet box. Her heart hammered in her chest as she cautiously opened it, her dark eyes instantly misted over.
There nestled in the palm of leather clad hands sat the gleaming dog-tag Logan had given to her on her birthday the day before they were both captured. Trying not to think of that terrifying day she hastily tucked the tag into her jacket pocket before she removed all the duffel bags from the cabin.
It only took five minutes for Sabre to stack them into the rusty old camper they had stolen for the trip. Five minutes after securing the camper, Gem stood by holding the Southern Belle's hand; wordlessly giving her comfort, when two males stepped up behind them.
"Rogue, are ya ready ta leave? We're all geared up but if ya want ta stay a bit longer we have time."
"No, it's alright Sabre we've been here long enough." She replied as she turned to him with a sad smile. Looking around at the aging ruins one last time, the seven-foot giant gently took Rogue and Gem's hands into his large ones and guided them back to the camper.
A/N: Not much has really changed, only a few slight differences and a few corrections than in the original but I hope y'all enjoyed it all the same anyway. Cheers. R & R.