Virago
Chapter Ten
/ Professor, we're on our way back. /
/ Garrison? /
/ We don't know. It was Mystique as Garrison who triggered the alarm. She…she died before she could tell us where the real Garrison is. /
/ Dead…? /
/ Yes. We're bringing her back. How's Rogue? /
/ Not good, Jean. Without an antidote, she will not wake up at all. /
/ We'll be back as soon as we can. /
*
Charles watched Scott watching Rogue as he waited for Hank and Ororo to arrive. The boy- No, Scott wasn't a boy anymore. He hadn't been a boy in very long time.
He sighed deeply, his eyes moving to the figure on the bed. Rogue looked to be only asleep, but they all knew better. Scott had not left her side since he had found out of her collapse.
'We're here, Charles,' Ororo's unmistakable voice sounded, interrupting his thoughts.
Charles looked up and nodded gravely at his two colleagues. 'There's been a very unpleasant turn of event. Angel and the X-Men are on their way back, but without Garrison.'
His news was met with stunned silence. They had all been depending on Garrison for the cure. Without Garrison, Rogue's fate could only lead one way – and it was not the way any of them wanted.
'That's not possible,' Scott said hoarsely. Charles turned back to the young man, but Scott's eyes remained stubbornly on Rogue. 'Garrison was at that base. The commandos went to that base to get Garrison, he was there.'
He sighed deeply. 'What they found was Mystique posing as Garrison.'
Ororo let out an audible gasp. She was a woman who was not easily startled, yet this was clearly a surprise. 'Why would she…?'
'She died before they could acquire information on the real Garrison. They are bringing her back with them.'
The mood in the room grew even more sombre.
*
He stopped before the wrought iron gates, and stared through the bars at the mansion. X-Men HQ. He had lived here, once. It hadn't worked out. Because of this, because of that. It didn't matter anymore.
The only thing that mattered was Rogue's life.
With heavy reluctance, but grim determination, he raised his hands up, palms out. Frowning slightly to concentrate, he shook the foundations of the stone walls enough to creak the gates open.
'Just hang on,' he murmured under his breath as he drove up to the mansion.
*
'Angel- Warren?'
He turned away from the blur of clouds outside the X-Jet's window and towards the timid voice, wincing from his wounds. Jean had tended to him first upon returning to the Jet, but he couldn't remember any of it. Just like the clouds, everything passed in a haze.
He attempted a smile, unsure if he succeeded. 'Hello, Kurt.'
The younger man was looking at him with clear concern. 'Are you doing okay?'
He breathed out slowly, his gaze dropping to the floor. 'No, I can't say I am.'
'Rogue…' Kurt hesitated. 'We'll get there.'
As much as he appreciated his honesty, Warren wished that Kurt had been more positive. Even if it had been a lie. But it would have been out of place with the sombre mood. The grave consequence of the mission's failure was on all of their minds.
'Thank you, Kurt,' he said softly. He looked up again. 'And…and I'm sorry about your mother.'
Kurt's face became impassive. It was his turn to look down. 'My mother still lives and is in Germany.'
'She is very fortunate to have a son like you.'
Kurt nodded slightly, then with a gentle pat on Warren's shoulder, walked back to his seat.
Warren returned to gazing out the window, seeing only a face framed by two white stripes.
*
Something caused the monitors to flicker for a moment.
'Did you see that?' Scott asked in alarm, looking at Hank before returning to the machines that monitored Rogue's vital signs. Just as they were.
The doctor shook his head, but he frowned deeply. 'Did you feel that? A slight tremor.'
'No.' He turned his gaze towards the entrance of the medical bay, unsure of why he would think that someone was arriving. 'Do you think-'
/ Hank, we need you in the lobby immediately! /
*
Trying hard as he could, he was unable to shake the feeling of still being a child under the Professor's intense gaze. He was a grown man, no more the problematic and ill-behaved teenager that they had all believed him to be. And had been, for a while.
'Is…is she doing okay?' he ventured to ask, hating the way he sounded so timid.
'No, she isn't,' Professor Xavier answered softly. 'She's dying.'
Fear shot through him. They were too late!
Realising his hands begin to shake by his side, he quickly clenched them into fists and pressed hard against his thighs. He wanted to control his emotions, to keep them from surfacing. He turned to his companion. 'Tell them, tell me it's not too late yet!'
The man looked so much older than his years. He sighed. 'We won't know until we try it. The antidote is only in its first stage of-'
'Charles, I'm here!' a deep voice interrupted, rushing into the lobby where they waited. A blue-furred beast – wearing glasses, of all things – looked at them with a deep frown. 'What's going on?'
'Dr Langdon Garrison is here,' Professor Xavier informed the new arrival, a note of urgency in his voice. 'He believes he has found an antidote for Rogue, but needs your labs and supplies.'
The blue beast nodded. 'Dr Garrison, please follow me.'
Without another word, Langdon Garrison was led away. He watched as the two hurried away, the doctor almost running to keep up with the large beast's long strides.
He turned back to Professor Xavier, who had turned and was wheeling himself towards another hallway. Towards his office. 'Mr Alvers, if you would. I believe we have a few things to discuss.'
end chapter ten.
AN: This was supposed to have been the last chapter before the prologue, but as you can see, there are still too many unresolved issues for it to be the end. *sigh* Also, this chapter doesn't seem to have moved the story along, and for that I do apologise and am disappointed with myself, but I can't seem to delete it for some strange reason. Let's just call it an "interim" chapter of sorts, shall we? And yes, once again, apologies for the delay in updating. It has been hot as hell here and I have had, like, no incentive to write. But I will definitely finish! :D