Here's a new chapter for you. Rogue is having flashes of her lost memories but Mystique might just do something drastic to stop her from remembering.
Chapter Twelve: The Missing Part
"Hey, Rogue, who was that guy?" Pietro asked her after that the strange guy left their table.
"How should ah know?" Rogue asked and tried to eat her lunch, but after the incident she lost her appetite. She looked over to see the boy talking to someone she recognized. Was that Bruno? she thought to herself. If it was what was he doing here? Something strange was going on, and she had to find out what it was.
It seemed since she woke up in that dungeon she didn't feel like herself. It was like a piece out her was missing, and she didn't know what it was or where to even start looking for it.
She looked around to see if she could spot that guy, but he was nowhere to be found. She got up from the table which made Fred stop and look up at her. "Where you going, Rogue?"
"Ladies room," she said and threw out her less than half eaten lunch and walked swiftly out of the lunch room. She raced down the hallway the reached the bathroom when she felt someone behind her. She turned around to see the same boy that approached her in the lunchroom.
"Are you following me?" she turned around and demanded to know.
"Maybe," he said and stood there shuffling his cards.
"Why?" she asked. She stood there nervously as he stared at her.
"Because I know you," he said and approached her. He tried to take her hand but she moved her them behind her back before he had a chance. "I know you don' remember, but you will. I won' give up until you do."
He came closer catching herself off guard and gently took her hand. She wanted to protest, but something in her didn't allow her to pull away. He caressed her gloved hand, but she could still feel his warmth through the leather. He placed something in inside her palm and closed it, slowly raising her hand to his and kissed it.
Shivers went up and down her spine as she slowly let go of her hand. "'Til next time, Cherie."
He walked away from her without looking back, and Rogue just stood there mesmerized. When he was out of her eyesight the trance she was in a few moments ago let up, and she came back to reality. She looked down to see a playing card in her hand. It was the queen of hearts. Why had he given her that of all things? After all she never met this guy before. She didn't even know his name or did she?
He had said it once in the lunchroom. What was it again? Remy. That's what he said, and she knew that name. She just didn't know from where.
The bell rang for her next class and realized she had to hurry or she would be late. Fred came stumping down the hall seeing they had their next class together which was art.
"Hey, Rogue, are you okay?" he asked seeing how distraught she looked.
"Ah'm fine," she said but she didn't realize that she still had the playing in her hand.
"Hey, what's that?" he asked and pointed to the queen of hearts card.
"Oh, that's nothing," she said and quickly put the card in her bag. As she entered her next class all she could think of was her encounter with that mysterious guy. The familiarity he claimed to have with her was disturbing and sent a chill up her spine, the way he touched her. If only he knew what she could do he wouldn't have been so casual, but then maybe he did. She just wished she knew for sure. She tried to put it out of her mind as the second bell rang signifying that class was about to start.
"Good afternoon, Class," Mister Patterson the art teacher said. He stood in front of the class wearing his usual artist's cape. He took his subject very seriously even if no one else did. "Today we are going to be continuing our nature study. You should all pick an animal and do a sketch. You have until the end of class."
Rogue took out her new sketch book that she had bought the day before. She needed to replace her old that she lost. She hated the fact that she lost that book. It had most of the drawing she had done since she was a kid. She figured everything had to be retired and fate decided that she no longer needed that book.
She hadn't used this one yet and decided that she would draw her favorite form of wildlife, the butterfly.
She seemed to be in a trance as the sketched the picture. She could see it in mind's eye down the last detail. All the other students were using an art book or pictures they had brought in, but she knew this butterfly. Somehow it was a part of her.
It was near the end of class when she finished and signed her name to it. Fred turned to her after he had looked at the clock. "So how is your picture coming?"
"It's done," she said and Fred looked over at it.
"Hey, that's beautiful," he said as he admired it. "I always liked butterflies, and it's a lot better than mine."
"Let's see," she said and he passed it to her.
"It's supposed to be a bull," he said with a disappointed look on his face.
"Ah can see it, Freddie, just add the tail and ya got it."
"Okay," he said and picked up his pencil.
He had just finished when the bell rang. Rogue tore out her masterpiece from her sketch book and handed it to Mister Patterson.
"Very good," he said and placed it on his desk. "You're one if the new students, right? Rogue...why isn't your last name on here?"
"It's just Rogue," she said and walked out of the classroom.
She had two more classes to go until the end of the day and she hoped she didn't run into that guy again. Her next class was French and she hoped that she would not see that guy again, but her was dashed as he came into the classroom and sat right next to her. She tried to ignore him, but she knew he was staring at her.
No one else in class really noticed since they were too involved with themselves. She hadn't taken French before and only knew a few words and by his accent she knew he must have been raised to speak it, so she wondered why he was taking this class.
So this meant she would have to see him for at least one class every day. She could deal with that, and at a closer inspection he was rather handsome. What she didn't understand was why he insisted that he knew her. He didn't seem like the kind of guy a girl could forget. She stayed quiet during the class but Remy was called on several times and said the phases perfectly. She wasn't sure what he was saying but it sounded like poetry.
Still she was impressed. She was called on twice, but did miserably. The teacher didn't look pleased but Remy said something in French and for some reason the teacher looked a little intimidated ad backed off of her. As the bell rang she was getting up to leave but before she could take a step Remy stood in front of her.
"Rogue, if you need help with your French we could get together," he said and she was a little wary of the offer.
"Why would ya wanna help me?" she asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, but she didn't have an answer for that. "How 'bout tomorrow after school?"
"Ah'll think about it," she said and quickly left the classroom, for some reason being around that guy made her nervous. She ran off to her next class if for no other reason to get away from him.
She hated that English was her last class of the day. The last thing she wanted to do at the end of a school was diagram a sentence. The whole process seemed ridiculous to her, and she wanted no part of it. She could see herself ten years from now being called into her boss's office asked to diagram a sentence. That was never going to happen. Then she thought with her powers being what they were there was no way she would ever get a regular job, so this whole school thing was just a waste of time.
She basically sleepwalked through the class, and even though she always did well in English, she was itching for the school day to be over.
She basically sleepwalked through the class, and even though she always did well in English she was itching for the school day to be over. She looked at the clock and it seemed to just stand still at two minutes to go. She convinced herself she was being paranoid and it took all her willpower not to look at the clock. Instead she thought about what Remy said about helping her with her French. She was a practical girl and decided that it was best to take him up on that offer. Last thing she wanted was for the boys to think she was a dummy. It was bad enough they teased her for the mere fact she was a girl. She didn't need them ragging on her for failing a courses. Finally the bell rang and she could leave this place. She raced to her locker and collected the books she would need to study that night and headed out of the building. That's when she saw Remy, and he was talking to someone she recognized.
A flash came to her mind and she remembered being attacked by that boy. He had brown hair and visor on his face, but it was the same boy. The X-Men don't leave lose ends. Those words rang over and over in her mind.
She approached them, and she had an angry look in her eye. "Remy, isn't it?" she said and he looked over at her. He was confused by her sudden attitude.
"What's wrong?" was all he could ask.
"Are ya with him?" she asked and gave the boy a scowl.
"Rogue, wait," the boy said and held up his hands.
"No, you wait," She said and pointed a finger at him. "You keep your weirdo friends away from me and as for you…" She looked over at Remy. "Ah can get another French tutor."
She walked off leaving both boys stunned. "What was dat about?" Remy asked.
"I'll tell you on the way home," he said and they walked off to the van.
Rogue had stumped off to Lance's jeep and opened the passenger's side in the front seat. The other boys including Lance who was driving approached. She was not in the mood to hear any of their prattle and tried to ignore them instead she opened her novel and tried to read. It wasn't long before one of them brought her back down to earth.
"Hey, who said you could ride shotgun?" Todd asked being a smart ass. He jumped up on the hood of the car and got in her face by leaning over the windshield.
"Don't mess with me, Toad Boy," she said and smacked him in the face with her book.
"Owe! What is this, abuse the toad day?" he asked and jumped down off the jeep.
"Toad, knock it off," Lance said as he got in the jeep and slammed the door. Todd jumped up on the back just as Fred and Pietro got in the back seat.
"So what's got you pissed?" Lance turned to her and asked as he put the keys in the ignition.
"Those X-freaks," she said.
"Yeah, so," Lance said as he pulled out of the driveway.
"He didn't tell me he was with them," Rogue said without realizing it.
"Does this have something to do with that weirdo who invaded our table at lunch?" Lance asked but had a strange smirk on his face.
Rogue stayed quiet, neither confirming out denying Lance's somewhat accusation.
"Awe, I think little Roguey's got a sweetheart," Todd said and smacked his lips together making kissing voices. The other boys except for Fred joined in at the taunts.
"Shut up!" Rogue shouted but the boys wouldn't stop.
"Come on, guys, leave her alone," Fred said and pounded his left fist into his right palm. "Anyone want to fly home?"
"Uh…no," Pietro said and sat back and enjoyed the ride.
Todd wasn't that smart and whispered in her ear. "Don't put lover boy into a permanent coma."
"SHUT UP!" Rogue shouted and reached back into the back seat and grabbed Toad by the shirt collar and threw him out of the jeep. He landed in a rosebush a few houses down from the Brotherhood house.
Lance kept driving just chuckling at what Rogue did to him, but he deserved it, not knowing when to stop his teasing. Rogue had a temper, and it did take a lot a really set her off but once someone did they had had better run for their life.
Lance parked the car in the driveway, and Rogue got out and immediately stomped up to her room. She didn't want to be around anyone right now. She wanted to be by herself. She thought that she better get used to it now, because it was probably going to be that way for the rest of her life.
She still she kept thinking about Remy. How could he was with the bunch who had tried to kill her, and even if that hadn't been an issue there was no way she could ever be with him. Her powers would kill him, and she felt herself dying slowly with each passing day.
It was not natural not to touch, but she had no choice. That's just the way it had to be. She had accepted that, but it didn't make things any easier. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about him even though he was in thick with her enemies.
Once she reached her room she slammed the door and locked it. She had a rough first day of school, and she wanted to put it behind her. She threw her schoolbag on her bed and walked over to the window. She saw that Toad had found his way and was outside goofing around with the other boys.
She took out her books and thought it would be best to get her homework out of the way. There were only two subjects she had work to do in. One was history and other was geometry. She hated math classes but she rather liked history. Sometimes she wished she was born in another century. If she had maybe she would be like she was, unable to touch. She tried to read the chapter on of the battles of the civil war but she just couldn't concentrate, so she took out her sketchbook and started drawing.
Almost a half an hour went by before she finished the drawing. It was of him, that guy that claimed to know her. Why in the world did she draw him? She studied the picture and was about to rip it out of her book and crumple it up, but she couldn't.
A flash came into her mind. She was trapped in an alley by a man and she suddenly turned around and there he was rescuing her from her attacker. She shook her head trying to get the image out of her head.
"It isn't real," she said silently. She closed the book and tossed it into her nightstand and tried to go back to studying. She searched her schoolbag for something to write with and found the playing card. It was a bit bend on the end but she smoothed it out and placed it on her nightstand. She wanted to just throw it out and never think of that crazy Cajun again, but even if he hadn't given her that card she was sure she would have been thinking about it. There was a missing part of her, and she had a feeling he had the key to unlocking it.
It was getting on dinnertime when Rogue heard a banging on her door. She had forgotten that she had locked it. "Hey, Rogue, open up!" She heard Fred's voice from outside the door.
Se got up off the bed after finishing that last question of her geometry homework. She unlocked the door to see big Freddie Dukes standing there with his arms crossed.
"Yeah, Freddie," she said.
"Dinner's almost ready," he said.
"Who's cookin' t'night?" she asked.
"Lance," he said and didn't look thrilled. "So it's spaghetti and meatballs."
"Well, it's the only thing he can cook," Rogue said. She wore a sarcastic smile and Fred had to agree with her.
"So, are you okay?" Fred asked her. "You were kind of upset on the way home."
"Yeah, ah'm," she said but she wondered if that was true. "Is just that guy..."
"Don't worry about him," Fred said and made a fist. "If he bothers you again..." He punched the wall outside her door leaving a dent in the wall.
"Careful of that," Rogue said and laughed. It was kind of pointless locking her door seeing these boys could work around that, and even if she didn't have the kind if powers she did she didn't really need to really worry about safety. Fred had somehow made himself her protector and none of the other boys were about to test his wrath. "Ah'll be down in a minute. Ah just want to change clothes."
"Okay, I'll see you downstairs, and don't worry about toad. He won't bother you anymore."
Rogue just rolled her eyes and shut her door. She changed into her dark gray sweat pants and a long sleeve black t-shirt and a pair of cotton gloves. She looked over at her nightstand where the card laid and wondered who that boy really was. She was going to find out… even if he was supposed to be her enemy.
When she came down to dinner she was greeted by a group of boisterous boys who barely acknowledged her existence. She sat down at the dinner table next to Mystique who sitting at the head of the table. Fred was sitting next to her, and the trio from hell were on the other side. She had decided to get into a food fight just as she sat down.
"Would you three knock it off!" Mystique yelled over at them. They ignored her and just kept throwing food. Rogue ducked and avoided being hit by a saucy meatball. Fred took it as a challenge and was using his mouth as a basketball hoop and caught most of the food food thrown his way. "STOP IT, ALL OF YOU!"
Silence filled the room after Mystique had screamed to the top of her lungs. Rogue thought it was now safe to get something to eat without the fear of being a target. The boys looked on paranoid knowing how much of a temper the blue woman had, while Rogue didn't fear her at all. True she had only been here a few days, but they learned right away their new teammate wasn't afraid of anything.
The rest of dinner was taken in silence and Rogue was glad. She needed to clear her mind after the things that happened that day and when she looked up at Mystique she could sense that the woman knew something was wrong, even though she didn't say anything.
Rogue took her time in eating her spaghetti and memory popped into her mind. She was at a small café eating what looked like breakfast, and there she saw the strange boy from school. She dropped her fork and ran from the table. She passed through the outside doors leading to their enclosed training area. Her heart was pounding in her chest remembering what Remy told her earlier that day, that she didn't remember him but she would. Perhaps it was all just a mind trick, thinking that she was manipulating herself into thinking that it was a real memory.
"It's not real," she whispered as she held onto the pole on the back porch.
"What's not real?" She turned around and gasped seeing Mystique standing there looking worried.
"Nothing, just some stupid daydream," Rogue said and sat down on one of the stone stoops.
"Blob told me a boy was hassling you at school today," she said and Rogue looked up at her. Damn it, Fred. Why did he have to say anything? "Is that true?"
"No…not really… it's just that he's friends with those x-freaks that attacked me back home, so ah told to leave me alone."
"I see," she said and walked back to the back door. "Everything will be taken care of."
Rogue didn't want to know what that meant. For all the good things this woman had done for her, she still didn't trust her for some reason. She would bide her time and see how things went. She still felt something strange was going on and she was going to find out what it was, one way or another.
Rogue returned to her room and finished up her homework before going to bed, hoping she didn't have any more of those weird dreams.
Later on that night the mysterious blue woman known as Mystique left her home and traveled to a remote part of the city. She was in disguise as a typical street walker, a good cover if anyone approached her asking questions. She was on a mission to meet someone that night, and she didn't want anyone to see her. The streets were bare, except for an occasional wino littering the streets.
She stayed silent but kept her eyes open, until she heard someone approach. "Mystique," she heard to deep voice of a man, her shape changed back to her true self. She had a cloak on and lowered the hood to reveal her blue face and yellow eyes. She true form would have terrified most people but this man didn't even flinch.
She stepped into the dark alleyway eager to begin her meeting with the mysterious man. "Why have you summons me."
"It's about my daughter," Mystique said and the man's gnarled face perked up. "I think she may be remembering."
"I told you there was a chance of that," he said.
"How do I stop it?" Mystique asked. I can't allow her to remember certain things.
"There is a way," he said and reached into his pocket. "Take this and give her one teaspoon a day. It is a temporary fix, and will wear off, but it is the only way."
"Is this addictive?" she asked.
"Why, yes," he said with a laugh. "Over time she will not be able to function without it, but your secrets will be safe." She held up the bottle of clear liquid. "She need not know you are even drugging her. Just slip it into her drink once a day. She will only remember what you want her to."
"Thank you," she said and passed him a few bills. She left the alley that night and returned home. She stared at the bottle for a long while, wondering if she could really go through with it. Could she drug her own daughter? It seemed such a small thing compared to what she had already done, but she did that for her own good. That's what she told herself, so this was no different. Rogue would remain hers… just as long as she didn't remember. She had made her decision.
Thanks for reading and the next chapter is already started. Give me a few days and I'll be posting again. This is long story which will span the duration of the show and little beyond, so lots more to come.
