September
Lublin, Poland
"They're down where?" Logan asked as he lowered the X-Chopper to the ground.
Attaching a few items to her wardrobe, "At Lublin Castle." she said fixing a black wig on her head.
"What's with the disguise Stripes?" Logan asked once the chopper was properly landed.
Opening the door, "I don't wanna take any chances that Magneto will discover that we're the ones that did this. The place might have security cameras and for all I know the owner could be reportin directly to him."
"No powers?"
"No powers."
"This'll be fun." he grinned wickedly placing on his new costume consisting of a black long sleeved muscle shirt, tan cargo pants, a belt, and a mask that covered his head completely. On the other hand Rogue was wearing leather pants, jacket, with a white shirt, and a belt full of gizmos that Batman would envy, not to mention the black wig and sunglasses she had on.
Fully dressed Logan checked the com links. Looking at Rogue waiting for him just outside the door he often wondered what happened to the 'innocent' Rogue. All this calculating, the deceiving, he would expect it from Mystique, but her? No. It wasn't that she wasn't doing the right thing. Her heart was in the right place. He just hoped that the others knew that two. "Ok Kid it's time. Just try not to get caught."
"And you try ta keep up." she smiled at him as he joined her outsidechopper. The castle, where Pete's family was being held, is supposed to be unoccupied; a true piece of history. However, Magneto warped it turning it into a place of torment and pain to further his need for world domination treating its inhabitants much like he was as a child in Auschwitz.
The long walk to the old castle was peaceful enough. She had expected guards at every point with snipers on the towers. Instead they were greeted with a seemingly normal site. A lone castle perched upon a hill.
Seeing no one from their vantage point they cautiously made their way to the East wall making sure to duck to not be seen through the long line of windows. Upon reaching the wall she laid down on her abdomen to pull out a pair of binoculars.
"You blind now?"
Giving him a non to gentle kick in the chins, "It ain't fer seeing distances. It's fer seein body heat. Here have a look."
Pulling the binoculars to his eyes he took a look first at the upmost level. Only one guard was walking back and forth. The second level had two guards. The one just inside their windows had four which was nothing compared to what was below ground.
Handing them back, "Where'd you get these?"
"Doesn't matter." she answered a little too quickly for his liking.
"There's at least ten hundred people down there kid."
"Yeah, it's a shame that they didn't bring more."
Thinking he may be a somewhat bad influence on her, "We don't know how many of them are guards or hostages. Not to mention what they're packing."
"Then let's find out." She said rising her head a little to peak at the window. She listened for the whistling to reach its peak before snatching the first man out of the window, mouth covered. Once outside Logan leveled a heavy blow to the back of his neck.
When the first floor was cleared Rogue used her grapple to reach the top while Logan covered the middle floor. On top was a rather rotund guard. A swift kick to his skull was more than enough to have his massive body crash to the floor. Looking at him she noted that they carried simple pistols and batons. Nothing too dangerous.
A minute later she met Logan on the first floor. He too figured that these 'guards' were just for show. He even recalled one man fainting before he even laid a finger on him.
"We better move while the cost is clear." Logan told her.
She nodded, "I saw a door around that corner over there."
Opening the heavy door the rust brick gave way to stainless steel wall panels. The sounds of clanking and speaking heard. Slowly coming down the corridor they found their selves in a laboratory. A man in a blue suit hovered over them all, "We will find a way to rid this world of the human disease. And you pathetic devolved waste of genes will help us mother the future ..."
Hanging on the wall behind him was a huge poster of Magneto. To his left was one vat and to his right were men, woman, and children bottling, testing, and labeling. In every row that held a group of humans stood a duo of guards armed with AK-47s. Even more guards lined the walls.
"Have a plan?" she asked hopefully. She didn't quite get the specifics of their entrapment from Magneto's mind, "I only have eight sleep bombs and five smoke pellets."
"That's more than enough. But I brought these along for back up," he pulled out two guns from the guards he incapacitated, "Know how to use a gun kid?"
"Does a bull have horns?"
...
(bullet shot)
"Get down! Get down!" The guards shouted to the rows of prisoners when a fog of smoke surrounded them.
"Hold steady," a guard said, "Someone's here and we will kill them in the name of Magneto! Extol Magnus!"
"Extol Magnus!" the other guards shouted in return.
Said guard was shot in his ankle. In pain he used his power of gravity to make anything within a few feet radius slam to the ground until he was hit with a sleeping bomb. A different guard turned half bird. His feet turned talon, his eyes triangular, and his hands claws. The back of his arms laced with brown feathers as he took to the air using his gust to clear the room of its smoke when a net was thrown around him, entrapping his wings.
As the seconds ticked by the man in the blue suit watched as his men fell one by one until the room was clear enough to make out the two perpetrators who didn't belong.
"So," removing his hat and gloves," You wish to stop my work for my savior?"
Trying her best not to use her southern accent, "Mutants were once humans too! You cannot enslave these people!"
"Let me guess you were hired by the family of one of my workers to retrieve them hmm?"
"What's it to you?" Logan growled.
"I am ... at an impasse. I have spouted many a negative word against you homosapien trash and yet here you are. Humans that have bested not one, but all of my guards. Maybe there is still hope for you yet? Work for me and I will convince Magneto to spare you're lives when he visits next week."
"Why do you think we will be here that long?" she raised her weapons at him.
"Because I have no intention of letting you go just yet." he smirked before his whole body stretched rectangularly until he resembled a sheet of tan paper with a smiley face on it.
"Prepare to die." the mutant said before turning sideways and disappearing.
"Hey where'd he go?" she asked looking around frantically until she received a thin, yet painful cut across her arm.
"Oww!"
"You ok?" Logan asked.
"I'm fine."
The mutant lunged for Logan, but with his sense of smell he dodged effortlessly before the Paper man reappeared next to him.
"I hope I didn't cut too deeply," he looked at Rogue, "It has been long time since I entertained female company."
Growling Logan pulled out the small switchblade that Rogue had tossed him earlier on in the fight, "Want some?"
They danced around each other for what seemed forever. The paper man only managed to graze Logan, while Logan had cut him more deeply, yet for some reason it had no effect on him. Every once in a while Paperman would try to attack Rogue. When he did Logan would toss her the knife so she could keep him from causing any more damage.
"Where'd he go again!" she snapped, eyes searching.
"I don't know where he is," Logan crouched, ready to pounce on his enemy, "But I smell 'em."
Catching a quick glimpse of tan in her vision Rogue jumped backwards giving herself just enough time to dodge the next attack. The same couldn't be said of her shirt that was now split in half.
Looking Paperman in the face her eyes veered past him to the vat. With a smirk she lunged at the mutant pushing him backwards into the hot water. She managed to get out just in time by using her grapple to hook onto a nearby rail. The paper mutant screamed for dear life before he reverted back to his normal form.
Extending his arm down to her, "Need a hand kid?"
"Thanks." she winced a little at the pain in her arm before they freed the prisoners. They all instantly fled to the surface running in every direction. The last of which to leave was a man who resembled Pete, but taller and yet thinner at the same time. Next to him his blonde wife stood shakily on her legs. In the father's arms appeared a little girl who looked gravely ill.
"That's them."
An hour later found them on their way to Canada. Nikolai, Pete's father, spoke of the horrors of the Castle. He spoke of how they were forced to work with little food. Alexandria, his mother, spoke of how the mutants showed them prejudice and at the same time worshiped the man who had trapped them there in the first place after offering her thanks for saving her family of course. When the girl, Illyana, woke up she asked about her brother.
Apparently, Pete and Illyana had an older brother who had died in the scuffle. She had feared Magneto had done the same to her other brother as well. Rogue assured Illyana and her parents that their son is safe and that they were going somewhere safe for a while.
Landing Logan led them to his Canadian home. It was particularly hard to get to, but manageable as well as remote. After the supplies were loaded they exchanged their goodbyes.
"Rogue." Illyana, whose illness was simply from starvation, "When you see Pitor will you give this to him?"
"Sure thang sweetheart." Rogue agreed taking the ruby from her neck.
Leaving anything that would bring up questions about their activities for the day behind they headed home. Tired, Rogue went to her bedroom careful to not lie on her injured arm.
...
"What does one wear on the party of their birth Gambit?" Pete asked desperately. He didn't want to disappoint Kitty who told him of her plans for a birthday party. He also knew that tonight would be very important. It would hopefully mark the night that his family was free again and the day that he might become a spy working against Magneto instead of for him.
"Blue jeans an a shirt'll do." Gambit told him.
"Are you sure?"
"Relax Pete," Gambit sighed, "No need bein stressed out. It is yer birthday after all an if this goes well maybe it'll convince Anna ta do one for me."
"Ha, that is likely."
"No need ta be sarcastic." He glared at his Russian friend.
...
After the Happy Birthday to You song finally ended Pete was forced to digest what he feared was his own weight is in strawberry cake. He loved Kitty, very much so, but the brunette rarely left him any time alone. He had yet to speak to Rogue, not that his supposed best friend was any help either.
Gambit looked very much the attention craving puppy when he was around her. He didn't want anyone else to have her attention. He didn't even like to leave her alone. The only reason he didn't follow her to the bathroom was because she used her powers on him.
"Like is there something wrong Pete," Kitty looked at him curiously, "You seem a little distracted."
"I was told there were presents."
"Like OMG I forgot! Wait here Petie." she ran off grabbing a few of the occupants on her way out. When he was finally free of her he walked over to Rogue.
"Rogue, do you mind telling me where the restroom is?"
"Here I'll show ya." she pried herself from Gambit's hands, "Oh don't give me that look. I'll be back in a sec."
Rogue lead him to the upstairs bathroom, "Thanks fer that."
"He was a 'little' excited to see you."
"I'd say more than a little …." She sighed, "Look we aint got much time. Remember ta never take off the gift that I give ya an yer families safe. If ya need proof," she reached into her pockets, "Illyana gave me this."
Pete smiled brightly, "I brought her zhis long time ago."
"She told me ta give it to ya."
"No," he gently closed her hands, "You keep it. The day I return for it is the day that I will truly be free again." Nodding her head she reluctantly returned to Gambit.
...
"Thank you for all the gifts." Pete told them as he left. The bulk of his gifts were tight fitting outfits from Kitty. The gift he actually wore was the watch from Rogue. She said all he had to do was wear it. In a strange way he had hopped for more. Instead all he had to do was go about his day as usual. She was in a position to take advantage of him, yet she did not. Why was that?
...
Rogue had listened in to the hidden mic on Pete's watch for days. Nothing of consequence save for I-Hate-Human speeches were said. After school on Thursday she waited and waited. It seemed the meeting was about to end, cued by the screeching chairs, when Magneto told them to sit back down.
The room grew silent before Magneto spoke again, "There is something that we all must look into. A group of my devoted workers was attacked by a duo of activists."
"There are other devoted workers?" Pete asked truly surprised.
"Actavist?"Gambit asked.
"In Poland I have had something very special to me being produced. I call it justice. My servants call it White Angel. It is a cure."
"For cancer?" Pyro asked.
"Correct Pyro. A cure for the human cancer." Rogue didn't like how he stressed that.
"Meaning?" Sabertooth growled out.
"There was a time not too long ago when Apocalypse endeavored to turn mankind into mutants. Those who were worthy would survive; those who weren't would serve as fertilizer for our fields. At the time I thought this criminal.
Yet, since then I have begun to see the light. It is a way for both Charles and I to win. I will have mutant supremacy. Charles will get his tolerant world, for if we were all mutants then there would be no need to discriminate. No need to make those abominable machines. And I will usher in this new world as its chairman, its father, its leader. It is then gentlemen that we will have won. Naturally those privileged few who serve me will be greatly rewarded."
"So how does this 'cure' involve us?" Gambit asked.
"As I was saying my labs may be governed by mutants, but its workers are mere mortals. They have been freed by two meddlesome persons. The cameras there aren't that good (clicking noise) as you see on screen we have a black haired woman possibly in her early twenties as well as a masked man. This, of course, is little to go on. Not to mention the cameras were damaged early on in the battle. That is why we're all going on a field trip to see if there is not more we can uncover in person."
Rogue let out a relieved sigh. Finally, something worth listening to. She had to find out more information about White Angel. By nightfall she could hear that they had reached Poland.
"Lord Magneto." she heard a few random men say.
"Stand. We are equals." Magneto ordered them. She heard the sound of footsteps, a door opening, followed by more footsteps.
"Ya thank the labs big enough?" Gambit asked Pete sarcastically.
"Magneto," Paperman's voice sounded, "It is all my fault. I underestimated them."
"Stand Mercer. Just tell me what happened?"
"Of course sir, while we were working a smoke bomb went off, confusing my men. The men pulled out their guns. After they were attacked they went to their mutant forms and still lost. I fought them last."
"Go on."
"The woman was most beautiful. Her skin looked of cream contrasting beautifully with her raven hair."
"Cream colored?" Gambit asked him. Rogue's heart started thundering in her chest, "Was she kinda tall."
"Yes."
"With a slight cleft chin."
"Yes."
"Southern accent?"
"No sir," she sighed in relief, "She sounded American, but with no base accent that I could detect. She also had a tattoo on her back. I also scratched her right arm."
"What of the other one?" Pyro asked.
"The man was fast. Very athletic. He looked like a mercenary, but I believe the woman was calling all the shots."
"Did they leave anything behind?" Pete asked hoping to God that this wasn't where his family was being held.
"Only this."
"A grappling hook?" Magneto seemed confused.
"Let me see." Gambit looked it over, "Top of te line. I used ta own some before it was confiscated during our stay at the mansion."
"How hard are they to find?"
"Easy if ya have a spare two thousand dollars layin round."
...
She stayed up till dawn to listen to everything. Apparently, Logan and Rogue got off scotch free. Magneto believed it to be the work of one of the richer slave's families. She also learned that the lab work for White Angel was to be moved to a location no more than a few hours' drive from her. Content she went to sleep to speak of her findings with the rest of them in the morning also making a side note to tap Logan's power a bit to hide her paper cuts.
...
"It's called what?" Amara asked.
"White Angel. Magneto plans on usin it ta rid te world of humans. However, he's not exactly sure how it'll work on us. He also has to find a vendor for mass production. From what Pete told me we have three months at best before the drug is made active."
"Pete was right for contacting you about this Rogue," the Professor said. His face grew concerned, "We must stop Magneto."
"But like a world with all mutants might not be so bad." Kitty thought about how just yesterday at school she had been egged.
"The world must carry on in its natural order. Who will manage a world of mutants? Who will force them to abide the laws? What is to stop them from being just as power hungry as Magneto?"
"There's us." Logan said looking around the table at Bobby, Amara, Tabatha, Kurt, Kitty, Beast, Storm, and Rogue.
"I have a quick question Rogue." Bobby turned to her.
"Yeah?"
"Why would he contact you and not one of us huh? He didn't even tell Kitty and he's dating her." Kitty gave a look at his point. His lips curved in a satisfactory smile. He still believed that he'd make a better leader than her.
Without missing a beat, "Maybe it's cause I helped ta save his life when we were fightin the Sentinels the las time I checked neither of yall were there."
Slightly annoyed, "But still ..."
"Why would he contact you? You don't never speak ta him an neither does Amara. Tabatha flirts with him, but that kinda creeps him out so he avoids her. Kurt gets along with everybody, but that don't mean he has ta exchange numbahs or something. Beast was in te lab most of te time. Storm was in her gardens an Logan was too busy tryin ta catch a Cajun ..."
"Yeah, but..."
"Oh come off it Icicle," Kitty came to her rescue, "No one wants you to be leader unless we have an early death wish or something." The girls smiled briefly at each other.
"But."
"Stuff it ice," Logan said, "And Rogue if you don't mind I found someone else who wants to join the team."
"Who." she asked as the door opened to reveal X23.
"Me." she smirked evilly before taking a seat far too close to Bobby to be natural, "I can't wait till the next DR session. You?"
.
Please Review
Tell me what you guys think. And I was thinking about getting a Beta. Anyone interested?
Hey if you don't mind tell me how bad the grammar was in this one, ok! I want to know if I am improving at all.