DISCLAIMER: I don't own the X-Men or any other characters, etc. Marvel, etc. I do own Father Digado.
Reviews:
To enchantedlight: Thank you very much.
To Cat2Fat900: Don't we all? I wanted to scream. Tell Ralph not to worry, update's here.
To They-Call-Me-Orange: Well, Kitty will end up with someone before too long. After all, she'll have a daughter in the sequel. But it's not gonna be Kurt, sorry. And Jonda, hmm. . . maybe. . . after all she does think he's cute.
To chicita: Ooh Carol's time is short. . . He's slightly brainwashed, I think. . . Sorry, have to get rid of her somehow. . . And Kurt's walk is coming up. . .
Chapter Thirteen:
Kurt is alone. He is walking around the town in his image induced state and goes by unnoticed. His head is hanging down. He recalls the words of people recently. His sister telling him about his father. His ex-girlfriend's parents telling him how wrong it was to hide behind his inducer. He glares at the inducer. All his life he wanted nothing more than to look normal, to be accepted. Ze X-Men accept me ze vay I am. My Mozer and Rogue and Vanda except me ze vay I am. Do I really need zis zing? He clutches the watch, as if about to tear it off. Instead, he sighs and takes his hand off it. I guess I do. "I feel so alone." he says aloud.
"No one is ever truly alone." a voice resounds behind him.
Kurt turns around and looks at the man standing behind him. He wears the habit of a priest. He stands in front of an old Catholic Church with a stained glass window with the image of Christ holding his hands open to the world. "I vouldn't be so sure of zat," Kurt says while he turns off his image inducer.
The old priest doesn't even flinch. "God will not shun you, just because you look like a demon and neither will I. If you want to talk, I have some free time."
Kurt smiles at the old man. He feels a tug in his heart. "I zink I vould like zat. I'm Kurt, Kurt Vagner."
"Well, Mr. Wagner. I am Father Digado. Come inside and we'll sort this out."
Rogue comes home late from her shopping trip to find a bouquet of red roses on her bed. Her room is empty. She picks up the flowers and reads the card, "To the love of my life: I'll always be here for you. Wake me up when you get these, okay? Remy." She frowns and looks at his bed. Remy had obviously been in it tonight. What could have happened to wake him up? She decides to go ask Piotr. Piotr is sitting up in the library reading a book on Russian artists.
"Piotr?"
He looks up. "Oh, hello, small one. What brings you here? I see you got Remy's flowers. Why aren't you in there with him?"
She frowns. "Piotr, Remy's not in our room. I read the note and it said ta wake him up, but he's not there. Did Magneto send him out?"
"No, no, Magneto went to bed early tonight. He had a migraine."
Rogue starts to cry. "Please, help me find him."
"Don't cry, Rogue, we will find him."
They proceed to search the entire base. There is no sign of Remy Lebeau. "Maybe we should wake up Magneto," Colossus suggests. Rogue nods her head and they proceed to his room.
He is awake. It seems the noise of a metal man and a terrified teenage girl has kept him from his sleep. He opens the door. Rogue is standing there with tears streaming down her face and still holding the bouquet of roses. "What is going on here?"
"Gambit is missing, sir." Piotr announces.
"Missing? I'll go after him."
"You're not leaving me behind!" Rogue spouts.
He looks at her. There is a determined look shining through tear-stained emerald eyes. Her face is set for an argument. She isn't going to take no for an answer. He already has a headache. "Alright, you can come."
Carol is sitting on her bed, after taking a shower. Kitty is sleeping soundly. Jean's pity party, as Carol put it, having ended two hours ago. She yawns and put on her pajamas. She then towel dries her hair and goes to the vanity to comb it. Then she screams. Her beautiful blonde hair is completely black. Kitty wakes up and squints at her. "Like, what's all the screaming about?"
"My hair! My beautiful hair! Did you do this?"
Kitty yawns and looks closer at her, waking up more. She jumps back when she sees Carol. "What happened to you?"
"Well, I'll take that as a no. SCOTT!"
Scott however is outside on the veranda with Jean, trying to console her and regain their lost friendship. Jean has been quiet since she came out of her room. She had run to the store after dinner and came back unnoticed. She doesn't feel like talking to Scott.
"Jean, all I'm saying is we've been friends since we were kids. Why does one person have to break years of friendship apart?"
"Yeah, Scott, why? You are the one who has changed, Scott."
"You've changed too. You never used to enjoy seeing someone mesirable."
"Well, I've never hated anyone with such a passion before," she says calmly.
"What is there to hate about Carol?" he asks truly bewildered.
"Everything. The only thing she's done since she got here is torture everyone and look down on us."
"Really, Jean, Carol's not like that. It's just a front she puts on because she's shy and scared of being rejected."
"What are you blind? Brainwashed? She's using you, Scott, and you can't even see it."
"I'm sorry," he says looking down. "I think I love her, but I don't see why we can't be friends."
Because I want more than friendship from you, you idiot! Jean thinks to herself. "We just can't, that's all. You used to be my best friend and now, I don't even know you."
"Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you." He decides to quickly change the subject with, "I saw Evan today."
"Really? How is he?"
"He's fine, but he looks different. He's covered in scales."
"Oh."
Suddenly, a second, "Oh" is heard and Carol is seen. Jean bursts out laughing when she looks at Carol. "So, I've been calling you and looking for you and here you are, with JEAN! Jean, who put dye in my shampoo bottle. Oh, yes, I know it was you, Jean. Do you deny it?"
"No. I did it." she smirks. "You needed to be taught a lesson."
"I'll teach you a lesson alright!"
Carol reaches back to hit Jean, when the Professor's voice is heard in their minds. Carol, I will deal with this. Really Jean, I'm disappointed in you. Come to my office.
Magneto is able to track Gambit. He had installed a homing beacon into the lining of Gambit's famous trench coat a long time ago. He follows the beeping until he arrives at a mansion. Gambit is hopping over the fence and hands something to a mysterious looking man. "Mesmero!" he mutters under his breath.
"Who's Mesmero?" Rogue asks. (1)
"You don't want to know." They land in the shadows as Angel appears and goes towards Mesmero. Angel is soon out of commission. Mesmero turns around and starts to walk away. Magneto, however, does not want him too and the fence rails tear off and form a rope around him. "You've got a lot of courage, hypnotising one of my men to do your stealing, Mesmero."
Mesmero tries to hypnotise Magneto but his helmet protects him. He doesn't notice Rogue running up to Gambit. Gambit, still hypnotised, is charging a card. He is ready to throw it when she reaches him. "Remy! Remy? You've got ta stop this! What did he do ta you? Remy, don't ya know me?" Remy continues to have a blank look on his face. Rogue is crying again. She grabs the card out of his hand and throws it away. The explosion knocks everyone around.
Magneto tightens his grip around Mesmero, "Release him immediately!"
Mesmero agrees and Gambit wakes up. He wraps his arms around Rogue and squeezes her tightly. "Let's go." Magneto grumbles. He lifts Mesmero by the metal that surrounds him and the four of them proceed to the base. None of them notice Angel has awakened and is watching them leave.
Jean sighs. "I know Professor. It was wrong, but I just had to get my frustration out somehow and dying her hair was the least harmful thing I could think of."
"Jean, I'm disappointed in you. I would expect this out of some of the less mature members of our team, but you?" He shakes his head sadly.
"It's only the temporary kind. It'll wash out it a couple days or so. I couldn't bring myself to buy the permanent kind." The floor has become very interesting to the telepath. She has never noticed the variety of colors or the intricate pattern before. Of course, she's never been on the receiving end of a lecture from Charles Xavier before either.
"But what I don't understand is what provoked all of this."
"Nothing, and everything. It's not something I can just talk about with you. Carol has been nothing but rude to me and all that anger just sort of built up to a head, I guess."
"Yes, well, you shall be punished. Since it is only temperary, I think grounding you for the weekend should be fine."
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."
"You are not to leave the mansion under any but X-Men related business. I trust you will obey me?" He continues as she nods. "Watch your back, Jean. Carol isn't likely to let this go."
The next day went by quickly. Carol had worn a hat and somehow convinced all her teachers to let her wear it, so no one noticed her hair. No one told Rogue about it because Carol's death glares were actually scaring them and because Rogue wasn't really listening to anything they said. She had decided not to tell the X-Men about the previous night's encounter. She dimly recalls a run-in between them and Mesmero from Scott and Kurt's minds. She doesn't want to bring up any suspicion.
Magneto had kept Mesmero locked in the same room he had put Wanda. He had called Mastermind to come. Actually, Rogue had heard part of the conversation in which Magneto had ordered him to sedate Illyana and get to the base as quickly as possible. This had saddened Rogue because she wondered how much sedation Illyana's system could handle. So she had been a little distant that day.
She had noticed Kurt seemed to be happier. In fact, as she rides home on the back of Remy's motorcycle, she recalls he hadn't worn his image inducer that day. She also noticed how Scott was pointedly ignoring Jean and scowling at her defiantly every time he saw her. They pass quickly by the gates of Xavier's mansion. The others were there already. She watches them for a split second, playing softball in the yard.
Kurt notices them go by and waves, but they are gone, so he turns back to the game. When suddenly he hears two fateful words screamed out above the ruckus, "Mutant Ball!" All chaos breaks loose.
Jean slows the ball almost to a stop in front of her bat and then cracks it out in to left field. Kurt teleports up to catch it and she is out. Amara lights the ball on fire and burns a hole into Ray's bat. Scott drops it like a hot tamale and dances around holding his burnt hand. Bobby ices his bat and shatters it as it hits the ball. Kitty was on second base. She runs and Sam catches the ball. He's guarding third base. He grins at her menacingly, when suddenly, she disappears. He stands around confused until Kitty comes up holding the base and panting for breath. Scott calls, "Safe!" Sam pouts.
Suddenly, Rahne who was catching the ball in her wolf form, stops in midair. That causes her to fall and drop the ball. She barks tentatively at the sky. Everyone looks up. In the sky an angel-like being is flying towards them.
Scott runs up to him as the angel lands in the middle of the field. "Warren! Hey, what's up? Is something wrong?"
"Something is terribly wrong. I need to speak to your professor, now."
At the base, Rogue and Remy walk into the middle of a fight. Pyro is sitting and staring at the scene. Piotr is against the wall, silently edging for the doorway. Even Sabretooth looks as if he is cowering in the corner. The subjects of the fight are Magneto and Mastermind. "How could you let him get away?"
"Well, he was there one second and the next he was gone."
"Mastermind, he can hypnotize people! You SAID you were immune to his powers!"
"Well, I lied then didn't I?"
"How dare you lie to ME, the Master of Magnetism!" As if to prove his point, he causes a steel bar to wrap sufficiently around the monkey-man. "And need I mention this is the second time you have failed me! A third time could prove fatal!"
"Relax," Mastermind pleads. "I got the information we need."
"But not the stone!"
"No, not the stone, but I can tell you what it is and why he wants it."
"Spill it!" the self-proclaimed Master of Magnetism commands, waving his arm and raising Mastermind into the air.
"The stone is one half of a hole. It is called the Spiderstone. The Spiderstone will open the second door to releasing the most powerful mutant of all time, En Sabah Nur, also known as Apocalypse."
Magneto drops the man and goes into his office. "We have to stop this. Acolytes!" he calls. The tone of his voice warns them to follow. They do. "We have to stop this. We have to find the other half of that stone."
"I know where it's located." Mastermind speaks up.
Angel is downstairs in a computer lab. He is staring at a picture of Mesmero on the screen. "That's him. That's the one."
Scott shakes his head. "Rogue would have mentioned it if Mesmero was working with Magneto."
"Would she?" his girlfriend asks sweetly. The jealousy in her voice evident. Her now black hair is down and streaming over her shoulders.
"As much as I wish to believe you, Scott. I think Carol has a point." Xavier sighs. "You see Warren, We have dealt with Mesmero before. He manipulated Jean into stealing some priceless rings which we figured out were a key. A key to what, we aren't sure. This 'Spiderstone', as you call it, must be the second key. From what I read of his mind, there are three keys total. If Magneto is involved. . ." He shakes his head.
"I know where the other half of the key is." Angel nods his head. "It's in a museum in London."
"Alright, Jean, Scott, Beast, Carol and yes Bobby, I guess you can come along. If only to watch the plane."
When they reach the museum, Rogue is standing outside, checking out her nail polish. Cyclops bounds furiously at her. She just smiles casually at him. "What are you doing here?" he asks angrily.
"Ah could ask ya the same thing Scotty boy."
Just then, Carol walks up. Rogue takes one look at her and laughs. "What in the name of all that is good happened to you, Carol?"
"It's Ms. Marvel to you, Skunkhead! And not that it's any of your business, but JEAN GREY happened to me!"
"Well excuse me, Ms. Marvel! But Ah'm not really doing anything. Magsy doesn't want me getting mixed up with this Mesmero guy. He says he's a real bad one and we gotta stop him before he releases some worse guy."
"Oh, like, we'll just believe that!" Carol says incredulously.
Cyclops notices something and drags Carol into the building where the other X-Men are battling Acolytes. Pyro is having a hayday, laughing insanely as he battles Hank and Bobby. Just until Bobby freezes his flame thrower and Cyclops shoots it, shattering it into a thousand pieces. John looks over to him and says in his Austrailian accent, "Nice X-Man, Good X-Man. You wouldn't hurt ole' Johnny, now would ya?"
Sabretooth walks up behind Cyclops and knocks him on the head. This causes Scott to pass out. Carol scowls at the beast and punches him into the wall. Victor Creed growls at her and jumps at her. She flies up and dodges him. Jean is off fighting Piotr, who is not putting up to much of a fight. After all, he doesn't really want to hurt the girl, only delay her. She can hear his thoughts and wonders why he doesn't want to hurt her. She catches a priceless Ming vase with her mind and sets it safely down.Gambit surveys the scene cheerily. He charges a card and flings it at the object of his beloved's hatred. Carol glares up at him as she climbs back into the building through the hole she made when she was blown through it. She comes at him but is stopped when Rogue uses some borrowed powers. She catches Carol's hand before she can hit Gambit. "Nice try Ms. Marvel. Ain't gonna happen, though."
"I thought Magneto wanted you to stay out of this."
"He does, but he didn't say Ah couldn't protect Remy."
"Oh, so this is the Remy you're always talking about. Maybe I should just kill him now." She smiles sweetly.
Rogue smiles just as sweetly, but there is a tone of malice in her voice as she leans in close to Carol's ear. "Ya lay one finger on MY man and Ah swear you'll neveh see the light av another day, Sugah."
While all this is going on, Magneto has been fighting Mesmero and trying to keep the two halves of the Spiderstone from meeting. It is a losing battle and the stones meet, causing a giant green spider to grow out of the stone. The building rubbles as the spider flees. As this was going on Mesmero has fled himself. Magneto chases after the spider. Everyone runs out of the building to see what happened. "Acolytes! Stop that spider! Not you Rogue. You stay here." Carol smirks at her.
"But. . ."
"I believe Erik is right," Professor Xavier speaks up.
"Et tu, Papa?" (2) she pouts. She goes next to the metal orbs and sits on the ground, her arms on her knees, her head on her arms. Gambit comes over to calm her down. Before he can touch her she looks up at him. "Just go! Go stop that thing and Ah'll just stay here and POUT like the THREE-YEAR-OLD they're treating me like!" As Remy walks off, worried about her, she mutters under her breath, "Having two fathers is impossible. Ah wish it was back to when Ah only had Irene."
Magneto is off, yelling at his Acolytes about killing the monster. "This is one key that won't be unlocking any doors!"
Charles tries to call after him, "No, we mustn't kill it! We need to study it!"
Jean, in the meantime, has come up to Rogue, "Are you alright?"
"No! Ah'm angry and Ah want ta kill that monster, Mesmero and Ah hate being left out!"
"You could come with us."
"No, Ah can't. My Papa even said ta stay behind. This bites."
"Yeah, it sure does."
Mesmero runs out and crashes into Xavier, who uses the opportunity to read his mind. Mesmero gets away. "Jean," the professor calls. "We have to stop Magneto from killing it!" Jean sighs and follows it. She wants to stay and help her friend, but she knows this is important.
Colossus throws a car at the spider. It dodges it and continues on it's way, knocking Piotr into a brick wall in the process. Sabretooth jumps on the creature, snarling, but is kicked away. Pyro, laughing insanely, as usual, has found a lighter and is kicking up a female spider out of the flames, hoping to entice it. When that doesn't work, he throws the flames towards the glowing green spider who effortlessly escapes. It manages to knock the lighter away from John.
Gambit has been watching all of this from the roof tops as he catches up quickly. He grins in arrogant superiority as he watches his teammates fail. "Remy's turn." He's glad his Roguey isn't there to be hurt. He doesn't know what he would do if she got hurt. He spies a double-decker bus and grins. He blows a card up under the bus, causing it to crash down on the spider. He charges the bus. The explosion slows the monster down just enough for Magneto to catch up.
He concentrates all his magnetic power into destroying the spider. The spider crumbles and disappears as Charles Xavier and his team run up shouting, "No!" But it is too late. The spider is destroyed. The Spiderstone falls harmlessly onto the rubble, but the harm has already been done.
"You've fallen into Mesmero's plan, Erik! He knew you were the only one that could stop the Spider. That was why he chose Gambit in the first place. It was a gatekeeper, a guardian, an added security system to the door. Destroying it was the key to opening the second door."
Magneto is crushed. "My own plans will have t be put on the back burner, Charles, until we stop Mesmero from unleashing Apocalypse."
"We have to find out where it was headed." Xavier claims. Everyone is in shock.
Deep inside a hidden chamber, Mesmero stands. He watches as a door opens to reveal another door. He grins. "Soon, my Master, soon. You will be unleashed and the world will fall to Apocalypse."
A/N:(1) I know you are all saying, "If Rogue has Magneto's memories wouldn't she know who Mesmero is?" Well the answer is no. Rogue doesn't absorb a person's full mind, only part of it. The parts that are deeply locked away don't always transfer. If she were to absorb someone's mind completely, it would practically kill them.
(2) This is a reference to Shakesphere's Julius Caesar, which I also do not own.
Did I mention Apocalypse was gonna show up? No. Oh, okay, I'll just mention it now then. . . (dodges muffins, spiked pepsis, flamethrowing squirrels, crack-fed bunnies, and anything else that can be thrown.) Heh, heh, well, I DID say I was trying to follow the episodes and yes, I know I skipped Self Possessed. It will come a little later, but Rogue hasn't been betrayed as much in this reality.
Coming Up, Rogue is still pouting. Rogue and Carol have another big fight. Lol. Jean sides with Rogue, of course. Scott sides with Carol and her new black hair, of course. X-23 shows up soon. I'll be using her comic book name as her real name though. Graydon pays a visit to his sister.