Title:Nocturna
Summary: One chance encounter with a pair of emerald eyes and a sweet Southern voice forces Evan to acknowledge a long buried desire he'd kept secret for years. (ROVAN) (one-shot)
A/N: Post X-Men: Evolution; takes place after the series ends. I am aware that in the last shot of the final episode it is hinted that Spyke returned to the X-Men, but in this fanfic he has left again. This is actually my second Rovan. I wrote my first one several years ago, but have long since abandoned it. This one is completely separate and does not in any way reflect the elements of the first one, other than the pairing, obviously. At the moment this is a one-shot, but upon any requests to extend it, I will gladly oblige.
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Evan Daniels was not exactly one for nostalgic sentiment. Yet here he was, standing outside the gates of the institute he'd once lived in, gazing wistfully at the deceivingly ominous mansion looming in shadowed darkness before him. How long had it been? Three years? Yes, that sounded about right. It was exactly three years ago when his mutation had manifested itself into a much more physical form, which had compelled him to announce his first departure from Xavier's school. He had ended up returning after the defeat of Apocalypse, but then eventually decided to leave once more to do some soul-searching. The decision had been a difficult one; he faced losing his family, friends, and most of all…her.
A frown passed over his face as he shook his head slightly in an attempt to banish old memories. There was no point in dwelling on what ifs. No one could turn back the hands of a clock and give him a second chance. Regret was a constant presence in his life now, and although he had learned to come to terms with it, sometimes it liked to rear up and remind him of what he had left behind.
Turning to leave, he cast one last glance over his shoulder at the gates before silently walking away, hands in his pockets. He hadn't been in contact with anyone from his past, be it the X-Men, Morlocks, or any of his adversaries. The past three years had been spent traveling all over the country, and only now had he come back to his hometown of Bayville, New York.
He didn't deny that he missed his family and his old teammates, but he had found that he rather enjoyed solitude and keeping to himself. And he never felt the sting of loneliness except for the moments when he thought about her.
The attraction had been immediate and oddly powerful upon first glance. To this day he still wasn't sure exactly why he had felt so drawn to her. Maybe it was the fact that her troubled past tugged at him. Maybe it was how she kept others at arm's length to avoid hurting them with her mutation. Maybe it was because of the countless number of times he had seen her sitting by herself in the garden or on the balcony of her room, gazing in the distance and most likely wishing things were different. Maybe it was because he liked what he couldn't have.
He had kept his distance from her when they were both students at the institute. His primary reason for doing so was that he couldn't come to terms with how he had felt about her. It almost frightened him, the intensity of the desire to want to be with her. So he played the cool classmate, teammate, and acquaintance in the hopes of abating his strange fascination, to no avail.
But he battled it valiantly, never admitting to himself that he thought of her as anything more than a friend, even though his whole being screamed otherwise. His dialogue with her had always been subdued and short. It was a constant worry of his that he might let on that he was interested in her, but luckily she had never suspected. No one had, not even his ever perceptive Aunt Ororo. At the time he had been thankful that no one knew, but now he wasn't so sure keeping it to himself was the best course of action.
It annoyed him every time she talked to or even looked at another guy. He had developed a secret resentment toward Scott Summers, the proclaimed leader of the X-Men and the apparent object of her affections. He recalled his immense irritation at seeing how her whole demeanor changed whenever she saw or spoke to Scott; her normally snappy or withdrawn attitude usually mellowed out every time she spotted him in the vicinity. This had led to Evan's collaboration with Jean Grey, prompting her to drop her generic high school football player boyfriend and admit that she was in love with Scott. But even after the pair got together, Evan was strangely disappointed that she still held onto her crush on him.
However, another event around the same time had briefly cheered him. The general public had already discovered the presence of mutants by this time, so he and the other X-Men were being ostracized or threatened by the fearful humans (no, that wasn't the thing that cheered him). During one day at school he had encountered two idiotic thugs looking to pick a fight with him. He gladly obliged them, having been fed up with the ignorance of the "normal" people. Imagine his surprise when, in the middle of the confrontation, she showed up to help him. He had been ecstatic almost, as it was really the first time she'd come to his aid for the sole purpose of defending him.
His excitement was short-lived, though, as one of the Acolytes, the Cajun who called himself Gambit, stepped in and ran the two humans off. Evan was positively green as he witnessed the way she regarded him underneath her vocal disapproval of his interference. It seemed that her interest had moved on from Scott to the Acolyte. He didn't know if he could take any more of this.
Not long after, Evan's life changed considerably when his mutation underwent a power surge. His torso and upper body grew armadillo-like plates, and he was given the option of leaving the institute to join the sewer-dwelling Morlocks. Perhaps in desperation to rid himself of his inane feelings, he chose to align himself with Callisto.
Living with the Morlocks wasn't a horrible experience. On the contrary, he felt at home with them and eventually took on the role of their guardian to protect them from the "top-side." Callisto became a sort of sister figure for him, and over time he began to share their beliefs and antipathy toward the human race. He knew that his personality was changing and that he was no longer that skateboarding and carefree high school student, but he also knew that he was finally getting over her.
His assistance had been summoned during the last battle against Apocalypse, and her absence in the fight further encouraged his new resolve to refrain from thinking about her. But after their victory he had been approached by both Ororo and Callisto, encouraging him to return to the X-Men. He reluctantly agreed, believing that he had moved on and that he could handle residing with her again.
He was wrong, he quickly realized, when he learned that Gambit had joined the X-Men as well and was now actively pursuing her. Evan took one look at her face, so full of life and laughter at the former Acolyte's presence, and he knew he couldn't stay. Without a word to anyone, he took off once again.
Now here he was, three years later, walking the empty streets of Bayville at night, and wondering if he had made the right choice. What would have happened if he had only let her know how he'd felt? What if she had learned to feel the same toward him?
He shook his head again and silently reprimanded himself for even considering such things. It was useless tormenting himself with outrageous possibilities. This was his life now, and there was nothing he could do to change the road it had taken.
"Well, well…back from the dead, Daniels?" a familiar voice asked from somewhere to the right.
Evan immediately recognized the haughty tone and fast-paced speech, and he narrowed his eyes at the figure leaning against the side of a nearby building. "It's nice to see you again, too, Maximoff. Now do me a favor and fuck off," he said harshly.
The last thing he wanted tonight was a fight with Quicksilver. He no longer possessed the temperament to put up with the other mutant's lack of intelligence, and he was less than enthusiastic at the prospect of demonstrating his new powers for a petty brawl.
Pietro stepped forward until he was illuminated beneath the streetlight. In the three years since that last battle, he had filled out notably. The lanky, slender frame was replaced by a muscular and toned physique, and his face had matured into a man's. Yet, there were some things that did not change. His whole aura reverberated pomposity as he regarded his old rival with an arrogant smirk.
"Aw, Daniels, you're breaking my heart. Is that any way to treat your old high school buddy?" he asked in a mocking, whiny tone.
Evan almost laughed at the ridiculous title. The words "Pietro Maximoff" and "buddy" definitely did not go together at all. At least where Evan was concerned.
"Still full of shit as always, I see," he stated condescendingly. "Tell me, Maximoff, have you grown up at all these past few years or are you still a self-absorbed, moronic prick?"
Pietro was unfazed by the insult and he strode closer to where Evan stood, the smirk still on his face. "Oh, I'm still a prick, yes. Thanks for asking. So, what's a superior, almighty god like you doing back here in Bayville?"
As they say, old habits die hard. They were now playing the baiting game, attempting to get a rise out of each other. Evan refused to lose, and he clenched his jaw as his hand curled into a fist that longed to fly straight into Pietro's irritating face. Still, he contemplated the question. What was he doing back in Bayville? He didn't think he knew the answer himself. He had been wandering around New York City just a few days ago, and then before he knew it he was standing at the gates to the institute. For reasons unknown he just felt like he had to be here this particular night, even if it meant avoiding everyone.
Of course, Pietro quickly managed to ruin that rule.
"That's none of your concern," Evan told him through gritted teeth. "Anyway, how'd you know I was here? Is creeping around the city in the middle of the night now a favorite pastime of yours?"
Pietro snickered shortly. "Favorite pastime, indeed…that's a good one, Daniels. But no, today was my girlfriend's birthday, and I happened to look out the window in the midst of the festivities, and guess who I see. The Porcupine himself, or rather, the Armadillo now, right?" He stared pointedly at the armored plates covering Evan's upper body.
The physical alteration appeared to be permanent. No matter how much he had honed his powers since leaving, Evan had never been able to manipulate or rid himself of the plates. As a result, he became somewhat nocturnal, hiding during the day and coming out only after dusk. It was a routine he'd grown accustomed to, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
After a few seconds, he picked up on something that Pietro had said.
"What do you mean you looked out the window and saw me?" he demanded, ignoring the other's question. "You can't be talking about the institute…"
"As a matter of fact, I am." Pietro's tone was simply gleeful.
Losing his composure, Evan just gaped at him. "You're telling me that you joined the X-Men?"
The speed demon's face promptly fell. "Hell no! I'm the leader of a bigger organization at the moment. You've probably heard about us, Freedom Force."
Evan had heard about them, all right. They were on the news every other week, publicized for their violent and destructive antics. "Yeah, just another fancy name for you delinquents otherwise known as the Brotherhood. Figures that an idiot like you would be the leader."
It was Pietro's turn to lose his cool. A scowl marred his features as he glared at his old foe. "For your information, Freedom Force is what the Brotherhood has evolved into," he huffed angrily. "We serve to protect, help, and bring justice to mutants everywhere."
"No, your purpose is to disrupt the public and terrorize innocent people under the claim of 'assisting' other mutants," Evan argued, unsure why he defended the very humans that he himself had come to loathe.
Pietro only rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Whatever. I don't need to explain myself or my organization to the likes of you."
But you just did, Evan thought irately.
"Anyway," Pietro continued, "back to the previous subject. Yes, I was at the institute." At Evan's confused look and silent question, he added, "Oh, that's right. You haven't been here to know the good news. I'm actually dating one of your former colleagues, an X-Man. Or, X-Woman, that is."
Evan's jaw nearly dropped open. That was impossible! Which of those girls in their right mind would willingly go out with Pietro Maximoff? He quickly scanned his mind, trying to recall the female roster of Xavier's school.
Pietro sneered at his expression. "But enough about me, let's talk about you. People have been talking while you've been gone, Daniels. Word is you left because of some girl."
That last sentence drew the oxygen from Evan's lungs. How did they find out? He had been so careful, so quiet about his feelings. He had never let on to anyone at the institute that he'd had any interest in her. He had told no one, no one except…
"All right, Maximoff, tell me who started that bullshit rumor," he ordered quietly, the slight tremor in his voice a sign of his rising fury.
"Did you know that Callisto is very sociable when she's had a little too much to drink?" Pietro asked, a truly sinister smile spreading on his lips. "The Morlocks were invited to the X-Men's Christmas party last December, and there was free alcohol, so…"
CALLISTO! Evan's head yelled. He could feel his blood pressure rising as his temper threatened to snap. She had been the one person he'd told, the one person he believed could keep it a secret. He felt a strong sense of betrayal as he considered how easily she opened her mouth, and his high opinion of her dropped drastically.
"So who is it?" Pietro asked eagerly when he remained silent.
Evan's only relief was that no one knew the identity of the object of his infatuation; he hadn't told Callisto who it was. Even though, this put him in a difficult position. Was there any way to play it off and just walk away?
"Apparently, you've been obsessing over her for a long time, but because she already had someone else, you couldn't stand to stick around and watch her happy with him," Pietro diagnosed accurately.
No, there was no way to simply play it off. But he could still walk away.
Evan turned to do just that. "I don't see how it's any business of yours."
Pietro zipped to stand in front of him. "No, really, Daniels. This interests me very much. Well, it amuses me foremost, but I do find it interesting, too."
Evan kept himself in check, making sure he didn't lose it and impale Quicksilver with a barrage of spikes. He wordlessly tried to head in the other direction, only to have the speed demon zip in his way again.
"It's not Shadowcat, is it? She and Lance are pretty serious, going on four years," said Pietro, zooming around to block Evan's escape whenever he moved. "Is it Jean Grey? Last I heard she was planning on tying the knot with Summers sometime soon. No? Is it Boom Boom? Magma? Storm? Ew, wait, she's your aunt. How 'bout Jubilee? Wolfsbane? X-23? Or," his face took on a horrified look. "Don't tell me it's my sister."
"GET LOST, MAXIMOFF!" Evan finally roared, projecting several spikes from his palms and shooting them at the infuriating nuisance.
Quicksilver easily dodged them all, still mulling over who it could possibly be. The expression on Evan's face convinced him that he still hadn't named the correct person. The sound of a motor echoed in the distance.
"There's really no one else I can think of," Pietro was saying as he continued to evade Spyke's weapons. "Other than Mystique, but there's no way she's the one, right?"
Evan was beyond furious at this point, and he wanted nothing more than to kill Pietro with his bare hands. He would have to cease attacking with spikes, he knew, as the sound of the motor came closer.
"Damn, Daniels, did you guys have another teammate I didn't know about? Because there's no other possible…" he trailed off. Evan had stopped shooting at him, and he froze as he came to a realization. Pinning the other man with a vicious glower, he bit out, "It's Rogue?"
The two mutants faced each other in barely concealed hostility, and the hardness on Evan's face confirmed that Pietro had finally guessed it. What bewildered him, though, was Pietro's immense rage at the revelation. He soon found out the reason.
"Your mystery woman, the one you've been madly in love with all this time, is my girlfriend?" Quicksilver snarled, all traces of amusement long gone.
Evan's look of wrath abruptly melted to one of shock and disbelief. There was no way…no fucking way…
The headlights of a motorcycle were approaching them from the end of the street. Evan and Pietro each prepared to clash with the other, operating on pure masculine fury. They hesitated one second to allow the motorcycle to pass. However, it didn't. Before either mutant could react, the motorcyclist stretched out one arm and clothes-lined Quicksilver as he/she rode by. The leader of Freedom Force went spiraling through the air then crashed into the side of the building he'd been leaning on earlier. Evan retracted the spikes that had been poking out of his hands as he gawked at the motorcyclist, who had taken a sharp u-turn to park the bike between him and his enemy.
"You tellin' fairytales again, Pietro?" the motorcyclist asked sharply, voice muffled from behind his/her helmet.
In the dim light, Evan had trouble determining whether it was a man or a woman, as he/she was dressed in black leather. After a few seconds of silence (Pietro had been knocked out), he/she reached up and removed the helmet. The sight quite literally stopped Evan's heart.
Long auburn hair spilled down the biker's shoulders, highlighted sharply with two white streaks that framed her face. Even in the darkness he could see her bright emerald eyes boring into him, her expression softening as recognition slowly dawned on her.
Evan, on the other hand, was having difficulty breathing. It was her. The source of his buried obsession all these years, his torture, his fascination, his anguish, his addiction…
Rogue.
"Hey, stranger," she said, a small smile playing about her lips. "Need a ride?"
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
A/N: Another thing I should mention is that this fanfic is assuming the episode "Spykecam" never happened, where it showed Rogue snapping at Evan after she caught him filming her and Kitty. But anyway, please tell me what you think!