Authors Note: First off, thankies to all those who commented, but from lack of comments on it I guess no one got the reference/action I made to the X2 movie in the last chapter... hmm... wonder if you will pick up my hints in this chapter.
And for all those who are wondering and asking, the sexy Cajun is in the next chapter, as well as some Romyness. And the Acolytes do make an appearance later too. I couldn't leave them out, I LOVE Pyro and his insanity too much! Kind of a tease really, telling you what's to come but not actually having it up, ain't I mean?
I also thought I would hint at some other things coming up, again just to prod and poke at you like an annoying little sibling trying to get a reaction out of you by irritating you. Three major figures almost everyone will know of from Rogue's past make an appearance. The only way you would not know them is if you have only seen the movie version of X-Men, and if that is the case, shame on you! You should learn about the comics. I will be interested to see if people will guess who I am talking about...
I also want to clear up some relationships for future chapters, mainly the Darkholme connection. In Evolution the only thing that truly helps show the connection of Nightcrawler to Mystique is Rogue and her memories she has gained. Because Rogue has had no connection with Mystique, as the Hellfire got to Rogue first (background behind this will be explained in later chapters) there was no one to find out the secret. There for, Kurt and everyone else (bar her and Magneto) does not know Mystique is his mother.
It is also because of the lack of relationship between our 'lovely' blue shapeshifter and our gothic absorber that Mesmero has never shown up, as he had no way to power up Apocalypse without Rogue. In fact he does not even know she exists. Mystique was the key to what happened that day.
Also, just so avoid future confusion, Rogue can turn on/off any power at will, including her own (obviously). So unlike in the comics and I am guessing in the future of Evolution since she is shown flying, where she absorbed Carol she could not turn off the strength, flight or invincibility.
One more thing, I really like the Brotherhood, I just find them so funny! Especially Toad. Disgusting but funny. There was no way I could leave them out, the comedy potential is just too great, plus Wanda is a kick ass female.
More 'insights' to come later... but now, on with the next chapter!
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Chapter Four: Know Thy Enemy: Brotherhood
One very wet night later Rogue stood covered in her hooded cape outside the household of the Brotherhood of Mutants... if you could call it a house. Having successfully taken out the entire X-Men mansion the moment she had returned to the Club's mansion Sebastion gave her another team to take out the next night, to add more power to her. After a day of sorting out memories and powers under her two closest friends guidance Rogue had completely recovered from her overload the night before, making more space to add more to her collection.
And this time, surprise wasn't such an issue...
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Brotherhood Boarding House.
Bayville.
"Give it back, yo!"
"Noway." (No way) Pietro zipped away as Todd launched himself at the speedster, only to make contact with the wall using his skull.
Falling back to the ground in a heap Todd rubbed his head. "Ow."
Now standing over the opposite end of the couch from his teammate Pietro grinned as he waved the remote control between his fingers. "Tooslow." (Too slow) He let out a yelp as a bolt of blue hex energy came flying his way, disappearing in a gust of wind and dropping the control in the process.
Reaching one hand over the edge of the couch Wanda snatched up the prized possession and lazily flicked through the channels. A rainy night, nothing on TV, and a house full of teenage male mutants... not a good combination, especially when the males were the Brotherhood boys.
Jumping over from the floor Todd landed on the couch next to her, grinning sweetly at the Brotherhood's lone female member, bar their leader. Trying her best to ignore him Wanda shuffled herself further along the couch as he slid closer to her. Not put off by this any more than pervious attempts by the 'witch' to keep him away Todd just continued to lean closer to her until Wanda was pressed up against the arm of the couch with no more room to retreat, at least without standing.
"Get away from me!"
"Aw, come on snuggle bug, I just want to cuddle."
Pietro let out a snort of laughter at the latest addition to Todd's increasing list of names for his sister, instantly falling silent after a death glare from the Goth.
"Don't make me hex you out into the rain." She growled towards the frog-like mutant.
"Do it," Lance muttered from his seat in the armchair, only half paying attention to the fight as it was so common in the house. "He needs a shower."
Hopping up onto the back of the couch Todd crouched down into his normal stance while keeping his balance perfectly. "Hey, yo, I just had one last week!"
"AndallofBayvillethanksyouforthat." (And all of Bayville thanks you for that) The silver-hairred mutant sneered as he eyed the remote control again, debating if he could grab it and get out of range of his sisters hexing without losing his head. A knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts. Shooting a glance at his watch Pietro appeared at the entrance before the second hand could even think about moving, wondering who could be at their door at this time, hell, who would be there ever. Unless it's one of Father's Acolytes... but apparently they prefer windows...
Pulling open the door Pietro's sulking suddenly stopped at the caped person standing at the entrance, their head down and covered with a hood to protect against the rain. Just standing there. Raising an eyebrow he looked past the figure and out into the night, not seeing anyone else Pietro returned his vision to them. "Uh, hello?"
As their face lifted Quicksilver got a glance of white hair and green eyes before the visitors bare hand shot out from under her cape, tapping his forehead. Caught off guard his eyes rolled up inside his head as his knees gave way, collapsing at her feet.
Stepping over his body Rogue moved into the house, pausing as a female voice called out from the living room.
"Close the fucking door Pietro!"
Stepping into the door frame Rogue answered. "He can't at the moment, but maybe in a few hours."
The three occupants eyes went wide as they jerked away from their focus on the TV and to her.
"Who the hell are you?" The taller and cleaner of the two males asked.
"Either yah worse nahgtmare, or yah favourite dream. Take yah pick sugah." She flirted in reply, shifting her vision to the other male as he actually hopped off the back of the couch to the wall furthermost away from her. In doing so Toad got an eyeful of her entrance.
"She knocked out Pietro, yo!"
Glaring at Rogue ScarletWitch's fingers twitched as blue energy sparked along her hands. "Normally I would like anyone who would knock that moron out-"
"But because Ah broke in yah goin' to have to make an exception?" Rogue interrupted with a smirk. "Take yah best shot."
"With pleasure." Raising both hands ScarletWitch's middle and ring finger on both hands lowered as she let loose a hex... but her target was no longer in the place she had originally been. Suddenly the TV switched channels to a gunfight scene in some form of movie. Spinning on her heels Wanda found Rogue standing directly behind her, remote control in one hand. Raising her hands to throw another hex at the fellow Goth ScarletWitch's eyes widened as Rogue dropped the control and snatched hold of her arms just above her numerous bracelets. Pulling her closer Rogue smirked as the other female's eyes slid close, body going limp and only being support by her grip.
Rogue gritted her teeth as her eyes fell close as well, two sets of memories bombarding her brain - one set real, the other fake - as she let go of ScarletWitch. Someone had been playing around with this girls memories. Sure she may kill and steal but for Rogue having your head messed with was the worse possible thing someone could do to another. A jolt of rumbling beneath her feet brought the Black Piece out of her daze, pushing away the 'memories' for later study.
"Yah keep that up and yah'll bring this hellhole yah call a house down on all of us." Her eyes snapped open to glare over at Avalanche, a twinge of a headache forming deep in her head. "Not a problem for meh, but yah all will be crushed."
"Fine by me." With that Avalanche swung his fist at her head, only to have her duck below his arm before answering back with two hits of her own to his stomach.
Dropping back onto one hand against the floor Rogue shoved a foot into the same place her fist made contact against his gut, making sure to keep any of her mutant powers at bay and just relying on her own training. The kick sent Avalanche backwards into the armchair he was previously seated in and caused the seat to tip backwards, spilling its occupant onto the floor.
From her crouched position Rogue leant over to pick up the fallen remote control, eyeing the device for a moment before throwing it to Toad, who was still keeping his distance from her.
"Knock yahself out toad-boy." A moment after the words left her mouth a size ten boot found its way onto her temple.
Rogue's head snapped to one side as she swallowed a curse for letting her guard down, feeling a warm liquid trickle down her face from point of contact. Wiping a finger under her hood she pulled it back to see her fingertip covered in red as a burning sensation from the tread marks left itself on her face.
The toe of Avalanche's shoe found itself between her ribs, the force behind the kick causing her to lift off the ground momentarily with the combination of the sound of cracking bone. Growling out loud her hand snapped out at his foot, twisting it violently one way with the aid of her extra powers and felt the vibration of his bones breaking. A cry of pain came from his mouth as he fell back to the floor, hands contracted into tight fists.
Raising to her feet Rogue lifted her bare hand to finish him off, only to grunt as something slammed feet first into her side and launched her into one of the rooms walls.
"I got her, yo!"
Another deep growl from her throat stopped Toad in his cheering as Rogue pushed herself back to her feet yet again, eyes now locked on him as a target. Any possible good mood was quickly leaving her as the kick to the head had caused the low grade headache to transform into a roaring migraine.
"Uh oh." He got out before launching himself towards the door for a quick exit, only to find himself suspended in midair. With a flick of her wrist Toad went flying out the door, pass the hallway, into the kitchen and against the refrigerator.
"Ah am gettin' sick of this." Rogue muttered bitterly as she snatched at Lance's shirt, lifting him off the ground and covering his face with her other hand. Keeping the contact for several second she allowed him to slip out of her grasp before following after Toad's path, wincing slightly as she felt Wolverine powers kick in to reconnect her broken rib.
As she went to enter the kitchen an over-sized hand blocked her access. Rogue raised her eyes upwards to the blonde hairred glutton standing in her way. "Move now, or Ah'll have to make yah move."
"That's her, yo! She broke in and took out Pietro and my cuddlebumps!" Toad yelled over Blob's shoulder from somewhere within the kitchen.
"Well, that and Avalanche." She added flicked her attention back to the mutant in her way. "Last warnin', move."
Blob chuckled as he peered down at her. "Or what? I'm the unmoveable."
A slow smirk formed itself across Rogue's face as she returned the laugh, but it was much darker. "To others, maybe. To meh..." She left the statement unfinished and gave a wave of her hand.
A tremble ran through Blob's large form as he sagged forward, resting the big meaty hand that was holding her back against the door frame for balance. His knees bent as his body tipped forwards and he gripped onto the sides of the walls with both hands, trying to hold himself upright. It felt like not only his clothing but even his hair and skin was weighing him down, battling to bring him to the ground.
As the pressure increased Fred dropped to one knee, doubling over so far he had to drop one hand to the ground for support. But the strain continued to grow. Both of his knees hit the floorboards and were quickly followed by his hands as his arms trembled. The shaking along his fleshy limbs became more violent but Blob lost the battle against the increase in gravity, legs sliding out from under him as his elbows bent out and collapsed, the weight resting along his spine keeping him pinned.
Looking down at the struggling Brotherhood mutant who still tried to right himself Rogue placed one foot on his massive back, using it as leverage to raise herself over him and onto to floor of the kitchen. Once on the floor again she crouch down, barely stopping before her covered knee scraped the ground and pressed a palm against Blob's cheek, his struggling stopping.
Toad's mouth dropped open at the sight of someone bringing down his oversized friend, wide eyes only increasing in size as she moved towards him. Contracting his muscles he bounced up in to the air over her head, only to be brought back down to earth as Rogue's hand shot up above her. Catching him in midair yet again with the aid of her recently acquired telekentics she brought him in front of her, twisting him around so he rested with his feet towards the ceiling, close enough to be intimidating but far enough away to avoid the majority of the stench coming off Toad.
Rogue tilted her head to one side as she looked at him. "Yah didn't really think yah could get away from meh, did yah froggy?"
"Well, I kind of hoped I would." Toad let out a grin to show off his badly stained teeth from his up-side-down position. His smile left his face a moment before his jaw snapped open, launching a glob of his spit spray directly into her face.
Losing her concentration enough to drop Toad onto his head Rogue reached her hands up to her face, trying to pull away the sticky substance that covered her mouth and nose. Sparing a second to look at the struggling attacker Toad hopped out of the room as fast as he could, leaping up the stairs towards a specific room.
Back in the kitchen Rogue was cursing silently at herself again as she tried to dig her nails under the spray, but was unable to tug it off. Pulling back her hands as her temper rose Rogue waved a hand in front of her face, narrowing her eyes at an attempt to ignore the bitter bite of cold as she froze the substance cutting off her air. The green spray contracted and cracked on her face as the surface of it took on an icy white appearance. Slamming the side of her hand into the covering she shook her head as it fell in pieces at her feet. She spat a chunk of green out of her mouth and peeled away the rest of the offensive frozen sludge.
"Disgustin'." Rogue's nose wrinkled up as she glared down at the remains before snapping her sight back up to the doorway Toad escaped from.
Flinging the large mutant that blocked the doorway out of her way with a snap of her wrist Rogue exited into the hall, only to be hit in the shoulder. Her body snapped around to one side and her vision locked onto the flow of blood now coming out of her right shoulder from a bullet wound... and the hole in her cape. Rogue's eyes widened as she gasped, fingering the rip in her important covering. Oh no, not mah cape! Teeth set tightly together she brought her eyes to the shooter standing at the top of the stairs.
Memories of all the occupants of both the Brotherhood and X-Men household - as well as her files back in the Hellfire mansion - confirmed the identity of the blue skinned mutant who kept Rogue directly in her firing line. Mystique, leader of the Brotherhood and with the gift of shapeshifting.
"Bitch." Rogue muttered before her shoulder jerked suddenly, the impacted and blood covered bullet falling to the floor as her wound knitted close. Scanning her eyes over the other woman she paused at the crouched figure of Toad hiding behind his leader, trying to peer around her body but keep hidden at the same time. Rogue smirked yet again as a plan came to mind and she bowed towards both before disappearing in a puff of sulfur.
Flicking her yellow eyes around the floor below her Mystique tried to spot the intruder, she knew she hit her by the way the girl reacted but she showed two mutations of members of the X-Men. What kind of mutant was she dealing with? The sound of a mild explosion sounded behind her but before she could turn Mystique found her gun hand empty as Toad was kicked through one of the bedroom doors.
Spinning around the shapeshifter found the hooded girl standing before her, handgun dangling from one of her fingers. The gun was thrown up into the air, only to be caught in the same hand before she tightened her fingers around it, crushing the metal in her palm before she let the remains fall. Mystique bit back a gasp at the strength this mutant possessed, staring under the shadow of the hood to catch the pale teens face.
"Yah put a hole in mah cape. Bad move."
Anticipating an attack Mystique raised her arm to block the punch aimed at her head, moaning in pain as she felt the bones in her forearm snap. A roundhouse kick to the ribs sent her against the wall down the upper hallway, dropping to the floor on all fours only to receive a second kick in the same place. The force behind it rocketed Mystique up into the ceiling, her spine shattering the painted surface before she fell back in front of her attacker.
A hand reached down to snatch her around the throat, lifting the redhead up off her feet to be slammed back into the already damaged wall. Snarling at Rogue she threw a fist towards her face, the attempted attack batted away with a wave of her hand as Rogue answered back by backhanding Mystique across the face.
The gasp broke free of her bloodied lips this time as Mystique got a small taste of Rogue's true powers, dizziness and an overwhelming tiredness wrapping around her brain. Bringing her gaze back to the younger female she inhaled suddenly as she found herself being looked back at with yellow eyes, her eyes.
"Who the hell are you?" Mystique demanded, not prepared to let her pride be defeated by this girl as easily as she was physically.
The dark grin took it's place on Rogue face again as she leant towards her. "The most powerful mutant alahve." As her grip tightened on Mystique's neck she felt the powers and knowledge flood into her, releasing her to allowing the unconscious woman to slide down the wall.
"So she does bleed red blood, not blue." Rogue commented as she eyed Mystique's bleeding nose and split lip. Looking to the broken door Rogue smiled and moved towards it, calling out as she walked. "Oh froggy. Come out, come out, where ever yah are."
Stepping into the dark room Rogue scanned the surroundings. It was dark, it was gothic, it held collections of the kind of books and music Rogue herself liked, as well as a selection of makeup and outfits she would chose for herself. Must be the girl's, Wanda's, room. "Come on Toady, Ah don't have all nahght and Ah'm startin' to get pissed off. Come out now and Ah won't hurt yah. That much."
When no answer came she marched over and threw open the wardrobe to find Toad crouching amongst the clothing inside. She smiled.
"Hi."
"Hey, yo." Came the reply with another unclean toothy smile, this one twitching uncontrollably with nervousness.
Rogue wiggled a finger, motioning for him to stand and come closer to her. Slowly he brought himself up from his stoop and hopped cautiously over to her.
"This going to hurt?"
She thought for a moment then shrugs. "Well, others tell meh it does. Ah wouldn't know, never had mah powers turned against meh before. Don't worry, yah'll just sleep well for a few hours."
Slowly Todd nodded his head, "That doesn't sound too bad." His nerves coming back at full strength as Rogue reached out a hand to him. "Ah, I guess saying sorry won't stop you... will it?"
Rogue grinned at the idea but shook her head. "Nope." Her grin was the last thing he saw before the world went black on Todd.
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