Chapter 4
Day one in Genosha: getting settled in, which wasn't hard to do. I didn't go to the mansion to gather any of my things. I was too scared to see anyone. I don't really know what I am doing here. I just want to be me again. I am obviously a masochist.
I look around this metal world and try to remember if I have been here before. I remember Magneto coming into my room and taking me, Kitty fast asleep (though I am so sure... she isn't that much of a heavy sleeper is she? I was screaming!). I remember waking up in Logan's arms as when he rescued me. That's it.
Day two in Genosha: basic physical, blood analysis, and a bone marrow sample. Dr. Essex is performing all these actions. (Have I met him before? Did he take away my powers in the first place?) Essex gives me the creeps. His silver skin, his shiny rubber black hair, and red eyes... the red eyes weren't like Remy's, always smiling, but something sinister. He injects the needle, my crimson blood fills through the tubes and into small labeled viles. He looks like he is on drugs. I thought he might honestly drink my blood or something. He is twitchy and lacks patience, as if saying "Why doesn't your blood come out faster?" But he doesn't say anything. It doesn't even seem like he is breathing.
After he extracted a sample bone marrow, he ran out of the hospital-like room and into the lab next door like a kid in a candy store.
"Hey... how are you?" Remy's familiar ruby eyes came into contact with mine as he peered his head through the door.
"Great... good. Feeling a little woozy... and my back hurts. Without my powers everything hurts a little more. I might end up with bruises everywhere I was poked today. But yeah I'm good."
"You're a trooper."
"I try..." I tried to better position myself on the hospital bed, hoping this gown wasn't too revealing.
"So I heard you are having a family dinner tonight."
"Yup... should be interesting."
"I have step brothers and sisters... but damn I wouldn't want yours."
"They hate me enough already. I'm sure this is just the thing to turn it around!" My sarcasm was unavoidable.
"Are you happy here?"
"I don't know Remy... This is only my second day here."
"Oh... right."
"So what are you doing conversing with me? Don't you have a job here or something?"
"I used to do training for the newbies, but Magneto has a new job for me and told me to come here."
"Ahh..."
"Hey... Rogue, I wanted to tell you something-"
Warren's presence interrupts Remy's train of thought. "Hey, how are you doing?"
"Good as can be. How is your day going?"
"They just need my marrow and then I'm done for the day. I really hope this works Ana. I can't help but get excited."
"I still don't get why you would want to get rid of your wings. They are awesome."
"You wouldn't understand Ana..."
"Oh, she understands. See you 'round chere."
"I thought you had something to tell me?"
He grinned. "I will tell you later."
"Okay..."
Later on that evening I was getting ready for my family dinner. I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe I am going to be sitting at a table with Magneto, Wanda, and Pietro. This is surreal. I just realized I'm Jewish...
I had so many questions about my mother and about their life together. Tonight may not be the best time because I doubt Wanda and Pietro want to discuss their father's extra marital affair. Maybe after dessert-
I suddenly felt an arm around my waist and a hand pressed against my mouth as a familiar voice whispered in my ear. "Rogue, it's me."
I tore out of his hold, "Remy, what the fuck?"
"Shh..."
"Why the secrecy? What is going on?"
"We need to get out of here."
"Why? Remy tell me whats happening!"
"That job Magneto wanted me to do... its not good."
"Elaborate."
"Essex and Magneto don't know if they can give you your powers back. What happened before was just a fluke. They want to use you as a lab rat along with the others they have prisoner. Half of the testing is fatal."
"You didn't know about this before?"
"No, I just found out. I swear."
So many things were swimming in my mind. What is happening? How can Magneto do this? Remy isn't lying... thats for sure. His eyes were so sad. "How can we escape?"
He ran his fingers through his brown scruffy hair in despair. "I have a little row boat... it won't get us very far considering were are in the middle of the ocean, but-"
"Okay, lets go. I'm assuming we don't have a lot of time."
"None at all."
"We need to go get Warren and we need to help those prisoners."
"Chere, we don't have time."
"We do."
"Rogue, you obviously do not understand the severity of this situation."
"I don't care."
"Fine. Lets go down to the lab first."
Remy rushed me through the halls: left, right, left, left... He knew the maze like the back of his hand.
"Oh my god..." My jaw dropped, along with my heart. There were ten cells each with a single prisoner. They looked skeletal as if they hadn't been fed in days. Half of them were strapped to machines... Remy place his hand on the nearby scanner where it identified him as Gambit. He pushed a few buttons in a specific sequence and the jail cells opened.
"Thank god." A purple skinned young women hugged Remy. "My name is Clarice. I can create teleportation portals."
"That can come in use. Thank you," Remy said quietly.
Clarice and Remy helped the rest of the captives as I made my way the back of the prison. A small green boy was huddle in the corner of his cell. "Hey..." He looked up at me, his yellow eyes wide open. He reminded me of Kurt. "Its okay... come on." He couldn't be older than seven. He barely weighed a thing as I swept him up in my arms. He held tightly on to me.
"Rogue, no. We can't take him."
"Remy, he is just a little boy."
"His power is to get rid of our powers. If we take him I won't have my powers and we will be defenseless. We can't take him."
The boy in my arms began to whimper. "I don't care Remy. I am taking him."
"Rogue, this is NOT the time to be stubborn okay?!"
"Remy, I can't make a portal until he leaves." Clarice reminded.
"I know! Fine Rogue, fine. Clarice, Rogue and I are taking the boy on the boat. You help the rest of these people."
"Okay," Clarice complied.
"Rogue, Warren is down the hall. Room six. Hurry."
"Okay."
I ran down the hall with the child still in my arms. I looked through the window of room six and saw Warren strapped to a machine similar to the ones of the prisoners. I thought he might be dead, but his eyes fluttered open when I came into the room. "Warren, we need to leave."
"Why?"
Couldn't he sense the urgency in my voice? "Magneto and Essex are planning on doing tests on us. They don't know how I lost my powers. They can't help you Warren."
"Yes, they can."
"Warren! We need to get out of here! They could kill you with all the test-"
"I don't care."
"What do you mean you don't care?"
"If there is the slightest chance that I can get rid of these wings, I am taking it."
"Warren, please-" My eyes started to fill with tears, but I couldn't let them escape.
"I am staying."
"Don't do this..."
"Goodbye Ana." I left him there. He wanted to take this risk. He was too far gone for me to save. I justified my reasons. I left him there.
We escaped. By some strike of luck, we escaped. I'm sure Magneto knew we were gone, but for whatever reason he didn't come after us. Using Remy's satellite phone we called the mansion. Hours later, floating with the current of the Atlantic Ocean, the X-jet came to our rescue. It was just Storm and Beast. They didn't ask if we were okay. They barely looked at us.
Later on in the mission briefing room, all level one members were present when Remy made his startling request.
"I want to become an X-man."
"Why now Cajun? You been workin' for Mags this whole time and now-"
"Logan, please calm down or I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Logan snarled, but obeyed as the Professor continued, "Gambit you are more than welcome to join us."
"He at least has to give us something! Otherwise who knows! He could still be working for Magneto right now!" Logan accused.
"I will give you whatever you want. Magneto is working with this guy Essex, taking samples of the mutant gene, trying to create some super mutant in hopes to destroy the giant robots out to kill us."
Scott's forehead wrinkled in distress, "What robots? What are you talking about?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D is scared of us and dey are taking precautions. They are making giant robots made to identify mutants. Magneto won't take that sittin' down yah know, so he started this training facility on Genosha. I was in charge of basic training, but I left when I found out he was keeping mutants prisoner and he expected me to finish them off. I want to be a good guy now."
"He wants a war..." The Professor whimpered.
"What else do you know?"
"He has some key additions, but so do you. The mutants we helped escape plan on joining you like Blink and Marrow. Pyro and me joinin' is like ten people-"
Scott continued his interview. "What key additions?"
"Well... Mastermind for one. He is a mean son of a bitch. He can create illusions with out you even knowing. You all know the next two... Professor your bro is there and yours too Cyclops."
"What?! Alex is working for him?"
"Magneto is promising more than he can handle. He says he can get rid of mutant abilities or help you control them. That is probably how he roped in Havok, but so far the findings are unstable. Rogue was just a mishap. Essex can't figure it out."
"How many mutants does he have?" Storm questioned.
"On Genosha? Maybe eight hundred... maybe more."
"Oh my god..." Storm and Jean spoke in unison.
"Thank you Gambit. This information is puzzling and horrific to say the least, but thank you for your cooperation. Anything else that might be useful... please don't hesitate to tell me."
"Of course..."
"Gambit, if you could go with Storm she can show you to your room and also give you an identification card."
He looked at me, afraid to leave my side. "Okay..."
Storm gestured Remy out of the room as The Professor spoke more orders. "Scott, I need you to go to The Hellfire Club. See what is new with them and judge whether or not they can help us if the time comes. Do not hint as to the real dilemmas that are at hand." Logan, Jean and I looked at the Professor wide eyed then at Scott who abided.
The mutants dispersed leaving Logan and myself alone in the room. I went over to Logan who was boiling in anger. "Logan-"
"Don't talk to me. I can't believe you. I honestly can't believe you. How could you?"
"I don't know... I want my powers back Logan. I feel utterly helpless. You don't know how it feels. You are so strong and always ready for a fight. And so am I. But now I can't. I'm weak. My life is turned upside down. I want to be myself again. I wasn't planning on joining him. I wanted my powers back and that was it. I know he isn't my dad. I know who my real dad is Logan. Its you."
His wrath diminished. "Yeah... fine. Whatever kid." He left the room and I knew he had forgiven me.
Kurt and I have never given Logan his props. He isn't exactly dad material, but he took us in anyway. He gives us money for new clothes, personally took us to school every day all through elementary school, he taught me how to drive. Why is it that I am barely realizing his place in my life?
Speaking of Kurt, when I exited the room he greeted me with no expression.
I started speaking so fast, the words probably weren't even comprehensible. "I know you are mad at me, I know that, and I am soo sorry. I just-"
Suddenly I was in his blue arms in a loving embrace. "Don't ever leave me alone. You are my sister."
"I know. I know..." I almost wanted to cry.
We stopped hugging and his face became serious. He suddenly wasn't my dorky little brother anymore. I have never seen him with a serious face. "I have something to tell you that you probably aren't going to like."
"What?"
"Kitty came back and we are kinda... together."
"What do you mean you are back together?! After what she did!?"
"We weren't really going out. I know that what she did was horrible, but she came back and she is really sorry. We put all our cards on the table and are actually going to try and have a relationship."
"Are you retarded? Honestly..."
"Please, you are my sister. You have to support me."
"And you are my little brother. You are supposed to support me! You are supposed to protect me."
"No, you are thinking of an older brother. I am a younger brother which means I am just supposed to be annoying." His devilish grin appeared and for a moment he was my little nerd again.
"Fine."
"And she wants to talk to you."
"No."
"Please..."
"FINE!"
Kurt poofed and then reappeared with Kitty holding his hand. She looked so much different than the last time I saw her. Not when I saw her having sex with my boyfriend... that is a mental image I desperately want to get rid of. The time before that when I saw her... she was all decked out in pink eyeshadow, heavy black mascara, pink glossy lips, wore a short denim skirt with Ugg boots as she lay on the couch reading the current Seventeen Magazine. Now? Her face is pale, lacking make up. She is wearing a sweat shirt. A sweat shirt. She had really changed. "I just really wanted to say..." Oh my gosh. She is crying. "I really wanted to say that I'm sorry. I am really, truly, sorry. I can't believe I hurt you like that. When we were ice skating I just... I got so mad! Like, I saw Lance there and I saw you with Peter and I'm sorry because you don't deserve that. I am really sorry. And I really like your brother. He is amazing and I won't hurt him. I won't hurt you. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?"
"Did the Prof say I had to forgive you to let you come back?"
"Wow, I-"
Kurt was about to speak but was interrupted, politely, by Kitty. "No. I am doing this on my own. I am really sorry. I couldn't live if you couldn't forgive me."
Couldn't live huh? Ugh... I thought of how easily Logan and Kurt were able to take me back. "Fine, in the spirit of forgiveness... yes, I forgive you."
"Oh my god!!! Like....wow! Thank you!" Her tiny frame was thrown against mine as she wrapped her hands, squeezing, around me. "You are awesome. Amazing... I am really sorry! I am-"
"Get off of me." I said.
"Did I miss something here?" Daz strolled in with a confused face. Kitty let go of me and we all looked at Daz, "So you're back?"
I nodded. "Yeah..."
She put out her fist. I bumped it and we smiled. "Cool."
"Welcome back."
We all laughed and hugged, but down the hall I saw Remy coming out of the Danger Room with Storm. "Hey, catch you guys later." I traveled over to him, "So you really want to become an X-man huh swamp rat?"
"Yeah, I do."
"You better be serious about this or-" And then he kissed me. He lips took me by surprise as they pressed feverishly against mine. Our lips parted and our tongues began dancing. As far as I knew, I wasn't even on Earth anymore. My heart was beating in a wild frenzy. His arms were around me, pulling me in closer. One of my hands held his face wanting more of his skin; my other hand twisted around in his hair as I drew him in.
A minute later, our lips left each other. "I love you Rogue."
"What?!"
"I love you. I have always loved you. I will always love you. I gotta go take care of some loose ends back in New Orleans, but when I come back I am going to kiss you over and over again."
"Okay..." I couldn't help but smile.