Let the rescue begin! :D Thanks to Renting for adding this to Story Alert and Favorites and ATLANTIS6405 for adding it to Story Alert. The fight scene has changed some, since there are added 'players' and one notable switch. Please bear in mind that fight scenes aren't really my forte.

Disclaimer: Nope, nothing's changed. All rights and characters belong to Marvel and their respective partners. We receive no profit from this work of fiction.

Aboard the Blackbird, the would-be team listens as Jean informs them of what she's discovered. "They're taking her to Liberty Island. Why would they do that?"

"Are there any events going on that would be advantageous to Magneto's plan?" Storm questions.

"There's a big U.N. outdoor fete on Ellis Island," Scott supplies.

"Dat's it!" Remy exclaims. "Who better t' make a statement wit' dan a bunch o' international delegates?"

"But how would Magneto expect ta get that machine close enough ta have any effect on them?" Logan asks.

"The Statue of Liberty," Storm murmurs. "He will use the Statue."

"Y'r right, Stormy. W'en I last saw him, he said dis was goin' t' be a scheme o' grand proportions. If he can somehow get past dose guards..."

Logan tugs at the neck of his uniform. "You actually go out in public in these?" he complains gruffly.

"And what would you choose, yellow spandex?" Scott jibes, getting a snort from Remy.

Logan turns and glares. "Who asked fer yer opinion, Gumbo?" he snarls.

Remy's eyes burn as he reaches into the pocket of his coat and pulls out two glowing cards. "Wanna ask moi dat again, secousse?"

Just as Logan unsheathes his claws, Jean telekinetically stops both of them. "Will you two stop it? We do not need a mid-air bloodbath. Sit down, both of you. Now!" she demands, moving over to sit between them. "Since you are both behaving like children, you will be treated as such," she informs them.

On the island, Sabretooth cuts the motor on his bike as he draws closer to the statue. He notes the location of the guards and grins ferally. "Piece of cake," he drawls softly as he thinks through the best way to go about this. He draws quietly up to them and grabs them by their necks, smacking their heads together, knocking them out cold. "I can deal with the metal brain better than they can," he snarls and moves toward Lady Liberty.

Magneto has Mystique and Toad sneak onto the ferry headed toward the island and make quick work of dispatching the boat's captain and crew. After this is done, they first get Rogue aboard, cuffing her to where she has no chance to escape, then they set to getting the machine on board. "Where's that overgrown fur-ball?" Mystique rasps angrily as she tightens one of the straps holding it in place.

"How should I know, Ravey? It's not like I keep tabs on 'im," Toad answers cheekily.

"I wasn't speaking to you and never call me that again!" Mystique levels a glare at him.

"Touchy, touchy," Toad 'tsks' and returns to his work.

"Yes, I do wonder where our dear Sabretooth has disappeared to," Magneto murmurs as he stares out onto the water.

A dreadful sensation forms in the pit of Mystique's stomach. "He wouldn't," she whispers. After they get underway, she passes through the small cabin where Rogue is kept and coolly observes her. Magneto enters and regards Mystique with minor suspicion. As soon as she's out of the room, she takes a breath to bolster herself. "Don't go getting all emotional now. You hardly know her and it's too late for that," she muses.

Magneto glances at Rogue as she hotly stares back. He goes to stand by the small window, pulling back the covering and glancing out at the Statue. "Magnificent, isn't she?" he questions.

Rogue glares at him. "I've seen it," she sasses.

"I first saw her in 1949. America was going to be the Land of Tolerance, of peace." He gazes at the Statue.

"Are ya goin' ta kill me?" Rogue asks, although she is somewhat certain of the answer.

He regards her carefully before responding "Yes".

"Why?" she inquires.

"Because there is no land of tolerance...no peace, not here or anywhere else. I've seen children and whole families destroyed, simply because they were born different from those who are in power. After tonight, the world's powerful will be just like us. They will return home as brothers, as mutants. Our cause will be theirs; your sacrifice will mean our survival."

"Isn' it jus' so generous of ya ta go offerin' my life like that," Rogue retorts sarcastically.

"You possess more power than I do, my dear, and coupled with your youth, the effects would be more widespread. Besides, they will need someone to lead them, shape them to be...effective members of our new society."

"Huh, in other words, you're sayin' that your life is worth more than mine an' that ya plan on takin' all these 'new mutants' an' makin' them inta your puppets," she surmises.

"Dear Rogue, your life will have more value after you are gone. You see, you will be revered as a martyr for our cause; you laying down your life for all of mutant-kind for our survival."

"What if I don' wanna die for your sadistic cause?"

"You have no choice in the matter, let me assure you," Magneto's voice becomes steely. "You see, despite your...boyfriend's meddling, we will prevail and he shall be punished quite severely for turning against me. Rest assured, I will not tolerate softness in my people."

"He's not my boyfriend," Rogue mutters.

"Really? That's not the impression I was getting," Magneto argues lightly. "I knew he would be the perfect choice to send in. With his looks and charm, if anyone could get you to leave, it would be him. He wasn't given a decision, really, when it came to joining me. I knew I could use his abilities and did everything I could to 'convince' him to take up my cause."

"Why're ya tellin' me all this?" Rogue asks suspiciously.

"I suppose it is showing you one last...kindness, you could say, in showing you what I have simply observed, where Remy is concerned. So you can leave this world knowing that he did seem to care for you. I hadn't counted on him actually taking a genuine interest in you, dear Rogue, given his past track record where women are concerned. Ah, young love. Too bad it has to end before it can ever really begin," Magneto looks at her pityingly, then leaves.

Rogue tries in vain to find some way to free herself of her bonds, but there isn't even a keyhole to pick the lock.

Meanwhile, Sabretooth enters the statue.

"Sir, sir...you can't go in there!" the guard shouts and calls for assistance.

"Watch me," he grins and makes quick work of rendering them unconscious. He takes their bodies outside and re-enters the monument, going into an alcove to await the right moment.

Magneto and crew get to the dock and begin unloading. He immediately notices the bodies of the guards littering the grounds. "It would seem that the welcoming committee has arrived, eh, Mystique?" he questions with mild amusement. He doesn't notice when she pales slightly.

"It would seem that way," she replies as she glances at Rogue, held firmly in her grasp. Taking a calming breath, she moves forward, Magneto and Toad ahead of them. She enters the torch with Magneto and assists him in securing her to the device. As she leaves and walks into the alcove, a large blur leaps out and attacks her, knocking her to the floor. Mystique struggles to free herself, finally using the wall for leverage. She arches her back, dislodging him and jumps back, breathing heavily.

"You!" Sabretooth snarls menacingly. "How could you, of all people, stand by an' let that freak do what he's gonna do? Our marriage might not've been much, but are ya that bitter that ya have ta take it out on her, Raven?"

"What I do is no longer your concern, Victor. You know that Erik's fighting for our rightful place."

He snorts, "Yeah, right, an' using a child to do it. Not just any child, but mine, an' I'm gonna stop him."

Mystique executes a spinning jump/kick combo, but he catches her, roughly shoving her aside and propelling himself upward, grabbing at a rail and swinging himself out of sight to wait for Magneto to appear.

"Victor...Victor! Where are you?" Raven questions. After no response from him, she joins Toad to receive further orders from Magneto, casting a wary eye to her surroundings.

On the jet, Scott turns out the lights and presses a couple of buttons, engaging their cloaking technology and the infrared beams. "Okay, there's the island. Storm, we could use some cover."

Storm nods, her eyes turning white as she causes thunder to rumble.

Two guards, posted further away on the island, look up at the sound. "Must be a storm coming," one of them observes.

As the jet comes in for a landing, Magneto notices the troubled water before him. "Mystique, Toad, stay sharp, we have company. I'm going to stay with the girl. Keep them busy."

Scott brings the jet in with a bumpy landing. "Sorry," he murmurs.

"Ya call that a landing?" Logan questions irritably.

"I coulda landed dis better, mon ami," Gambit speaks up with a smirk.

Scott ignores the two of them and shuts down the jet. The five disembark and enter the statue, gazing around. "Where would be the best place for Magneto to carry this out?" Scott questions. Everyone looks up.

"The torch," Storm answers grimly, then they all head inside. They go through the metal detector with no problem, that is, until Logan attempts it. The alarm goes off and he quickly puts his claws through the terminal. Everyone looks back at him and Scott looks like he's about to admonish him, until Logan gives him a certain rude gesture. Remy stifles his laughter as Scott shakes his head and returns to scouting the room.

Remy and Logan both go still. "There's someone else here," Logan sniffs the air.

"Oui, I know. De feelin' I'm gettin' from dem ain' good, eit'er," Remy remarks.

Suddenly, the Lady Liberty replica by the metal detector changes into Mystique and the fight begins. She immediately begins her attack on Remy and Logan as Jean, Scott and Storm run further inside, only to run into Toad.

At one point, Mystique pins Remy against the wall. "You won't succeed in rescuing your little girlfriend. As we speak, she's being prepared to rescue mutant-kind. I knew you were a liability, but Erik wouldn't listen. I guess it's up to me to make sure you don't cause us trouble ever again." Just as she's about to strike, Logan comes up behind her and strikes her as Remy shoves her off, knocking her to the floor.

"He's with us now," Logan snarls. "If ya want him, ya gotta get through me, first."

"Fine, have it your way," Mystique replies coolly and renews her assault.

"T'anks all de same, but Gambit can fight his own fights," Remy answers, joining in the fray by pulling out a handful of charged cards, followed by his bo-staff.

"Don't think this changes things, Gumbo. I'm still dealin' with ya myself when we're finished here," Logan warns.

"Wouldn' t'ink ot'erwise, mon ami," is Remy's cheeky response.

Logan rolls his eyes and continues the fight.

Meanwhile, Scott, Jean and Storm advance on Toad, but he is too quick for them. He hops, knocking Scott back into a wall, then moves toward Jean. She stops him with her telepathy, but he spits a large gob of goo onto her face, making it difficult for her to breathe. Jean stumbles and falls, leaving Storm. Toad smirks at her momentary uncertainty and moves toward her in a small, shuffling dance. He then leaps up suddenly, kicking her back into a display case. As she gets up, he hops over to a railing, waiting for her next move. Storm lunges toward him, but he jumps away, landing on an overhead fixture, then quickly flings himself off, right at her, knocking her back into the elevator, which closes.

Scott shakes his head to try to clear it and sees Jean on the floor, thrashing around with goo covering her face. "Jean!" he shouts and runs to her, trying to peel it off, but to no avail. "Try to stay still," he commands, adjusting the beam setting on his goggles and shooting at the stuff. It crumbles and Jean gasps, taking in fresh air.

"Are you alright?" he questions.

"I've been better," she manages to get out as she slowly stands.

Up in the torch, Magneto is suddenly disrupted as a burly hand shoots out to wrap around his throat.

"I was wondering when you would make your grand appearance," Magneto replies coolly.

"Let her go," Sabretooth growls.

"Why the sudden interest in the girl, Victor?"

"None of yer business. There are other ways of getting the humans' attention without killing her."

"Yes, there are, but this one is the most effective, so I hate disappointing you, but the answer is no." Magneto lifts his hands and metal strips from the torch fly inward, effectively wrapping around Victor's wrists and ankles, securing him to the wall.

"Looks like you will have a front seat as you watch her save our kind," Magneto smirks as Rogue's eyes close in anguish. Not having second thoughts, are you my dear?" he asks as he removes his gloves and grasps her face. She tries in vain to fight the sensation of draining his power, but it doesn't work.

"Nooo!" Sabretooth shouts as he watches her face contort and tears stream down her face.

Magneto gasps as he releases his hold and takes a few moments to regain his composure.

"Rogue, use his ability to free yourself now!" Sabretooth commands as he fights to free himself, but not before Magneto stretches his hand out, stopping her from being able to do so.

"That would not be wise, my child. You cannot hope to escape your destiny, let alone this building for that matter." Magneto pulls his gloves back on.

Downstairs, Mystique is still in an all-out assault against Gambit and Wolverine. She comes at them with a volley of kicks and punches. The two men are able to dodge them, for the most part and answer back with their own techniques. Gambit, noticing that Mystique is going after Logan, slips away without a sound and runs toward the torch.

Toad is reveling in his assumed victory. It is short-lived, when he sees the elevator crackling with lightning and the doors thrown open to reveal an angry Storm. His eyes widen as she strides out, electricity crackling around her. The wind gusts around her, blowing him back. He tries to gain his footing, but a ferocious gust catches him off his feet and he is blown toward an opening.

"Know what happens to a Toad that's struck by lightning?" she queries, then answers "The same thing as everything else." With that, she summons a large bolt of lightning to hit him, causing him to sail out the opening and into the water. With him out of the picture, she rushes in the same direction as Gambit.

Mystique manages to get Logan against a fence and with an insidious grin, hits him where it hurts. This of course, enrages him, making him to redouble his attack. Seeing that she needs to reassess her strategy, she crawls backwards up the wall, out of sight.

He stands still, senses on high alert as Storm enters the room. Logan quickly shushes her and sniffs the air.

"Come, Logan. We need to find the rest of the group," she entreats him.

He turns to her. "Only one problem with that," he tells her. Suddenly, he unsheathes his claws and stabs Storm, who becomes Mystique. "You're not part of the group," he informs her and moves to find Rogue. He meets up with Scott, Jean and Storm, all heading upstairs at the sounds of Rogue's frantic cries. He holds up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, it's me," he informs them as Scott's hand goes to his goggles.

"Prove it," Scott demands.

"You're a dick," Logan responds.

"Okay then," Scott replies, after a momentary pause. The group moves to go upstairs, but are quickly impeded as Logan stops. "Hold on," he warns.

"What is it?" Storm questions.

"I can't move," Logan demonstrates this as he tries to move and can't. At that moment, Magneto floats down to them, picking Logan up and pinning him against the wall.

"Ah, my brothers," Magneto greets idly as the rest feel themselves magnetically restrained against the same wall. He then removes Scott's goggles, placing them well out of reach.

"Let's take care of those claws, shall we?" Magneto takes Logan's claws and bends them, making it extremely difficult for Logan to escape.

"Help me...Please help me!" they hear Rogue call out desperately.

"Why are you doing this?" Jean asks incredulously.

"Because if we leave everything to those people down there, then we continue to allow them to persecute us, to treat us as if we are abominations of nature. I will not allow it any longer!"

"I saw Senator Kelly...at the Institute," Jean informs him in an attempt to stall, since she saw a shadow pass by above them.

"Ah, so he did survive the transformation...and the swim," Magneto grins.

"He's dead," Storm adds. "I saw him die."

Magneto approaches her and passes her a condescending look. "Are you certain you saw what you believe you saw?"

"Fry him, Storm!" Scott commands.

"In a giant copper conductor? I thought you attended the Institute." Magneto answers with a disparaging glance at Scott.

"If you're so righteous, it should be you in that machine instead of her," Logan snarls angrily.

Magneto shoots him a cold glare and levitates back up to Rogue.

Remy enters the torch and sees Sabretooth against the wall. He smirks as the other man growls at him. "Y' go against ol' Magsy too?" he queries humorously in a whisper.

"Never mind me. Get the frail out before he returns," Victor whispers urgently, gesturing in front of him with his head.

"Rogue!" Remy turns to see Rogue connected to the machine. "I'll get y' out, chere, don' worry," he reassures her as he approaches, but he is too late.

"Gambit! You've caused me no end of trouble, boy. I will see to it that you will no longer be able to do so." Just as Remy whips out a highly charged Ace, a chunk of metal flies up behind him, striking him on the back of the head.

"Remy!" Rogue screams and bursts into tears again.

Magneto shakes his head in mock regret. "I do aplolgize for that, but I simply cannot have him in my way. He is too much of a liability."

"Please don't do this," she whispers.

He spares her a pitying glance and begins the final preparations.

As this is happening, Logan assesses his bonds. Knowing there is only one way out, he steels himself for a moment and cuts through, getting himself in the process. He shouts in pain and falls to the floor.

"Logan!" Storm shouts as Scott and Jean look on, thinking the worst.

Sabretooth finally manages to work loose his bonds and free himself. He waits until Magneto's attention is elsewhere and rushes out to assist the others, so all of them could stop the madman. Heading down, he notices Logan's prone form on the floor and rushes over to pick him up. Logan, suddenly awakening and misunderstanding Victor's intentions, hurls himself at the feral man, lashing out at him. Victor dodges the blows. "Jimmy, stop! I'm not gonna fight ya right now. She needs us, but believe me, you will pay later." With that, he drops Logan and sets to freeing Scott and Jean.

Logan stares at him suspiciously. "Jimmy? Where did that come from and why is he acting like this?" he murmurs, then mentally shaking himself, gets to work on getting Storm free.

As they hurry upstairs, the lights dim. "He's started that infernal contraption!" Victor snarls furiously as he runs into the torch.

Remy comes to, noticing all the fighting going on around him. He looks over at Rogue and sees a familiar bright light enveloping her and emanating outward and Magneto alongside her. He moves quickly toward her, but can't get too close. Thinking quickly, he spies Scott's visor and returns it to Jean, who places them on Scott and pulls Logan aside, coming up with a plan.

Jean turns to Scott. "Can you shoot it?"

"No, it's too risky. Those rings are moving too fast and I could end up blowing up the whole thing, along with Rogue."

"I'm going up there," Logan informs them, after conferring with Remy. "Storm, ya need ta get me up there. Jean, use yer telepathy ta help steady me."

Storm summons up a strong wind, effectively lifting him to the top of the contraption as Jean manages to steady him. Just as he unleashes his claws, Magneto stops him, bending his claws backward.

Logan painfully tries to fight back, but it is of no use.

Scott adjusts his visor. "I'm gonna shoot."

"No, Scott. Don't! Just wait a little longer," Jean tells him as she continues to watch Logan struggle to free himself from the magnetic hold on him.

"Well are ya gonna shoot or not?" Sabretooth growls at Scott a moment later as the light just about approaches the island, frightening the attendees of the fete taking place.

Scott casts him a terrified glance and swallows thickly with remembered fear.

Remy huffs impatiently and rolls his eyes. "Big bad fearless leader afraid o' a kitty-cat," he mutters and charges up another Ace and lobs it at Magneto, knocking him off his perch by Rogue. Logan, finally freed, reaches down and slashes ferociously at one of the rings, destroying the machine.

Remy and Victor rush up to where Logan is as he releases Rogue from the contraption.

"Rogue, come on!" Logan holds her in his arms as he pats her cheeks, trying to get some kind of a response out of the girl. "Marie, wake up," he entreats as tears begin to fall from both his and Remy's eyes. He tries to get Rogue to take his abilities, but she remains unresponsive.

"C'mon cherie, don' let ol' Magsy win," Remy pleads as he gently strokes her hair as Victor stares at her with a strangely (for him) tender look in his eyes. Suddenly, Logan feels a familiar pulling sensation as Rogue coughs and sputters, her eyes opening as Logan staggers back. Remy reaches over, quickly catching Rogue as Logan steadies himself. "Y' don' know how good it is t' see y' awake, Roguey!" Remy crows exultantly.

"Ya miss me that much, Swamp Rat?" Rogue whispers weakly, but with a teasing edge. "We need ta talk after I get some rest."

"Anyt'in' y' want, mon Roguey," he leans over and places a soft kiss on her hairline. "Remy's jus' happy t' see y' alive." Remy gently picks her up and Jean telepathically moves them back down to the ground.

As the group leaves in the Blackbird, Sabretooth in tow, the Coast Guard swarms Liberty Island and quickly arrests an unconscious Magneto and injured Mystique. They find Toad swimming up onto the shore and he is apprehended as well.

I hope y'all liked my take of Rogue's rescue. Sorry it's taken so long for me to update. To attempt to alleviate some confusion, no one but Magneto, Sabretooth and Mystique know about Rogue's true parentage.