"Are they operational?" Warren Worthington the second asked, finding himself standing in front of the large glass once more. It had been more than a week since he last saw the large machines, but every time he saw them he was filled with awe. Here was the future, right before their eyes! The future without mutants and without any problems! His hands itched to touch the large machines, already imagining a world without the horrible excuses for human beings. He scoffed. He needed a world without them, a world without things like his…son.

"Not yet, sir. There are still some glitches that we need to fix-"

"Are they major glitches?" He asked, his steel gray eyebrows raising. The scientist fumbled, "well, uh, no, but-"

"Then send them out. I want this world rid of those damn mutants."

X

"Hiding from them isn't going to help you're situation."

Rogue rolled her eyes, ignoring the blue eyed man as she continued to draw. Scott's face came out well enough, especially since she only had her memory to go on. Jean's face was finished right next to his, the eyes smiling as she threw the bouquet. It was a picture that had been stuck in Rogue's mind for a while. Jean's and Scott's wedding. It was the one thing that Rogue thought would happen eventually, it wasn't even a question that it would, it was just a matter of when. And now…

Rogue let out a sigh as she closed the drawing pad. Now, it was just a picture in a book.

She glanced up at Scott, tracing the lines of the dead man's face as she last remembered him. "I am not hiding from anyone. I am avoiding them." She heard Scott let out a scoff. "Avoiding them? Hiding from them? Same thing, just put different ways. This is why you feel so unattached from the rest of the mansion. You don't talk to people."

"What is there to say? 'Sorry you're terrified of me and I have all your secrets and thought running through my mind. I'll try next time to control it'-"

"You don't have to be so damn sarcastic." Scott muttered, jerking his blue eyes away from her. "What?" She asked, confused.

"That's why people can't get close to you. You shut them away with sarcasm and cynicism and expect them to try and get close to you-"

"You're blaming me?" she asked, incredulousness evident in her voice. Scott slid her a look. "I am not blaming you for anything-" Rogue stood up slowly, silencing Scott as his eyes followed her. "You're in my mind, Scott. You know why I don't let them get close to me. You know why I don't let anyone get close to me!" she shouted, glaring at the imaginary man. "That's not true."

"What?"

"You don't let anyone get close to you? That's a lie."

She scoffed. "It's not-"

"You let Warren get close to you." Scott whispered, staring at her calmly with his dark azure eyes. Her mouth snapped shut, her head jerking back with a force she couldn't explain. She could do nothing but stare, waiting for the punch line of the joke. Her? Rogue? Letting the infamous playboy in through her tight shield? As if!

But even as she denied it, she felt the same amazing twist begin deep in her heart, the handsome man's face coming into full view in her mind. She pictured him perfectly, from his adorable smirk to the shoes he had been wearing on and off for a couple of days now. Her mouth curved into a small smile, her tawny brown eyes becoming soft as she thought about the Angel who had been with her the last couple of weeks.

Scott cleared his throat, throwing her out of the daze and she turned to stare at his soft blue eyes. "I know that look." He muttered, his anger fading as he stared at the young woman falling in love. "What look?" she asked, trying to ignore the blush that threatened to stain her cheeks. She watched as Scott let out a sigh, smiling as he turned away from her. "nothing." he murmured, beginning to fade.

She closed her eyes, tucking Scott away in her mind as she continued sitting outside alone. The steady sound of water flowing eased her mind as the voices faded, each day dimming them more and more.

It had been 3 days since the incident in the dining room. And, just as before, everyone avoided her. Actually, they avoided her more now. Kitty and 14 other mutants had passed out from the strength of her power. Another 8 ended up in the infirmary, but they had been discharged the same day some time later. So, Rogue had, single-handedly, taken out 23 mutants with about 10 seconds of contact.

Imagine how scared of her they were now.

But somehow, it didn't hurt her as much as it did before. She understood them, and the resentment was still there, but she had stopped caring about the others for some time now. The only one who seemed to matter was the one who had been with her regardless of whatever she'd done to him. Whether she bit his head off or cried on his shoulders.

She smirked.

Ok, well, she had yet to do the last one but she always felt like she could when he was with her. She felt like she could be herself around him.

That was a rare feeling, and one she cherished every time it came. It was comforting to know she wasn't just another random mutant to him, but Rogue. She wasn't some time bomb waiting to explode that he avoided at all costs, but instead she was someone he always looked out for.

Where had the cynical, sarcastic and sardonic Rogue gone? She was probably tucked away deep inside, waiting for the chance to spring forth, but for now, Rogue was herself.

She thanked Warren for that.

She tucked her drawing pad under her arm, standing up to stretch as the sun bathed her body with warmth. She turned, shifting her feet as she started to head back towards the mansion.

Crunch.

She stopped, turning as her brow furrowed. Her tawny eyes scanned the grounds around her, trying to find the source of the noise. When she saw nothing, she shrugged and turned once more towards the mansion.

A whirring noise pierced the silence, growing louder with each passing millisecond. Rogue turned in time to see something red flash before a metal hand clamped dangerously around her ankle, throwing her legs out from under her when it tugged. She let out a curse, falling on her back. She saw stars when her head slammed into the ground, creating a headache as she was dragged somewhere. She tried to fight the white dots as she kicked, slamming a foot down on whatever was clamped around her ankle. She let out a curse when she felt her toe stub, hissing as the toes seemed to vibrate with pain.

She lifted herself up, taking her back off the ground as her hands wrapped around the metal claw. She focused, the stinging behind her eyes growing as the power built. The optic blasts shot out, dismembering the red claw and Rogue watched as it crumbled into pieces. She rolled as her body came to a sudden stop, coughing up dirt that refused to dislodge from her throat. "Damnit" She whispered, shaking her head as she tried to get the sting to fade.

She heard a screech and her head whipped around, the white strands catching in the wind as she felt her mouth drop open.

It was…huge! The red and blue machine was massive, looking like a human mutant on steroids. The metal surrounding it's body screamed with power, the red eyes locking on her. It opened it's mouth and in complete clarity she heard, "Mutant detected. Search and destroy."

"Fuck!' She yelled, rolling as a large arm slammed into the ground. She jumped to her feet, already feeling the ice as it coated her hands. She raised them, grinning as the ice began to wrap around the machine's legs. "Mutant detected. Search and destroy." it repeated, raising an arm. The red beam shot out, breaking the ice faster than she was making it. "Come on!" she grunted, willing the ice to move faster.

The sting came again and her eyes widened as the full blasts were released. It hit the machine dead center, throwing it back with it's impact. With the legs still iced over, the machine had nothing to catch itself on. The metal screeched, snapping as the machine fell back. "Mutant detected. Search and-and-Mutant detected-search and-des-destroy." it shouted, it's red eyes fading quickly.

She let out a sigh, sinking to the ground as she watched the red eyes die out. "damn." she murmured, staring at the large mass. She closed her eyes as relief swamped her body, adrenaline dying as she stared at the dying machine.

The Wolverine in her smelled it coming even before she heard the whirring. She flipped, rolling as something clipped her wrist.

She felt the blood seep from her hand, dropping to the ground as she rolled to a stop. She turned, staring at a replica of the machine she had just taken down. She had time to let out another curse before it spoke, "Mutant detected. Search and destroy."

"Come on!" She shouted, breaking into another run as she scrambled to her feet.

She didn't run fast enough.

The claw wrapped around both feet, throwing her to the ground as it tugged. She watched in horror as it's red eyes zeroed in on her bleeding wrists. She heard more whirring and felt her blood run cold as it's next sentence. "Mutant Rogue detected. Mission return, accepted."

Something that sounded like a torch started up and Rogue's gaze shot down to the machine's feet. Fire erupted and the machine took to the air. She scrambled on the ground, clawing to stay put.

She felt her stomach drop out from under her when she was yanked into the air, her hands and hair dangling as the machine continued it's flight.

She didn't even think about it as the metal of the machine hummed around her. She just pushed. Magneto's power shot out, metal around her bending dramatically as the machine holding her twisted. She let out a scream, her stomach dropping once more she as dropped.

She hit the ground hard, groaning as her body throbbed with pain. The screaming metal around her stopped, Magneto's power fading as she stop concentrating.

She had to get back to the mansion. She had to warn the X-men.

She let out another scream when she felt the cold metal wrap around her torso. She was jerked into the air once more, the machine behind her repeating, "Mutant Rogue detected. Mission return, accepted."

She was too tired to do anything more than scream as her body flew into the air, the metal mutant sucking her into it's metal frame. She tapped into the Professor's power, screaming the first name that came to her mind…and her heart.

"WARREN!"