Connecticut S.H.I.E.L.D Compound, Apr. 27th 4:04 pm
The compound felt empty and quiet. Scott struggled not to let it bother him. Not to be hurt that some of his oldest teammates (a lot of them, actually) had chosen to follow someone who was barely fit to teach at the institute. They chose Logan over him. Was he that much of a monster? And of course, the thought was on both team leaders' minds. 'When Rogue is back from the Avengers, where will she go?'
Logan grimaced every time he thought of the choice, what they would do to her no matter what she picked. 'I will support her no matter what she chooses.' He told himself. Logan had experienced the sacrifice of love, and that was her choice either way. He didn't envy her, and he was so angry with Scott for making it a choice to begin with. He prayed she would side with him, not for his own selfish need, but for her protection. She wouldn't be safe next to Wanda, nobody at the compound would.
It was the fact Scott didn't know what she would do that inadvertently pushed him toward Emma. He knew she loved him, she always had. He never doubted her loyalty or affection for him, he was never unfortunate enough to have to. But her bond with Logan was the only thing that might be stronger than that. He reconciled with it, even after the history of Logan and Jean. Their relationship wasn't like that, but he occupied a space in the girl's heart that had Scott nervous.
Stressed, wondering who she would choose to serve under. So he refused to tell her. If Rogue was going to be sent on an anxious spiral while dealing with world matters, it wouldn't be his fault. The compound was ordered not to tell her via video conference. Either Wolverine's team would tell her, or she would figure it out on her own when she came. Emma tried to get him to be honest but he refused. He wouldn't be able to handle it if she chose Logan's team. He would do his part to delay the choice.
"What are you going to do," Ororo begged him. "What if she shows up to visit and see all of us-"
"She can't be unfocused on her missions, Ororo." He clenched his jaw tightly. He wasn't wrong. The moment she realized what was happening she would be distracted, pining for home and aching to help. It could kill her, Ororo knew that. And still, it felt wrong to keep from her. She was close with Xavier before his death, he would want her to know.
"Please, just consider that-"
"I have." He cut in solemnly. "Thanks for the talk." She watched as he walked into Emma's office and closed the door. She hung her head sadly. 'Charles, help us all.'
D.C SHIELD Headquarters, Apr. 24th 10:06 am
Rogue awoke to an alarm, one that told her something was wrong. She flew from bed and threw on a dark green tunic and matching pants, and a cropped brown jacket. She hovered to the Conference Room, brushing her hair and looking around. Steve stood waiting to seriously address all of them. She stood among the other Avengers and waited.
"A lead just came in," He informed them, his handsome face in a frown. Logan had told her about Captain America before, he certainly didn't look as old as he was. He looked like an action figure, perfect and in pristine condition. He turned to the screen as footage popped up. "Some mutant activity was discovered, a group called S.H.A.R.D. Could be related to Stryfe. We're going to check it out." Her face darkened as she looked around. She knew the peace wouldn't last much longer. "We're gonna see if we can track them back to a base or a headquarters, that'll be how we tell."
Tony shakes his head when he remember's Stryfe grappling his arm. 'I threw everything I had at him. If he's there, some of us might not be coming back from that fight.' He looked at his teammates, worry laced over his features. 'I hope that's not the case.'
"So, settle down and get ready. For whatever happens." He looked at all of them, Bucky by his side. The dark haired man was few of words and often beside the Super Soldier. Clint and Natasha share a look just as Bruce and Thor do. Rogue finds herself looking at her boots, thinking about how all her friends are. The Avengers are cliqued together like any team is. Tony is a little less partnered than the others, but he didn't seem much of a fit for Rogue. D.C brought out her loner tendencies.
It didn't help that she didn't feel well, either. Like Amara's connection to the earth, the longer she was away from the institute the worse she felt. She thought it was psychosomatic at first. Just some physical pining for her friends, teammates, and family. But she was beginning to think otherwise. Her mood swings were random and merciless. Sometimes, she was lonely and wanted socialize with her teammates. Others, she hid away in her room at the soonest moment.
She was nauseated most of the time, eating like a bird and puking half of it up. Being with the Avengers seemed to be making her sick. And she did her best to hide it, but she was constantly fatigued. They were counting on her to be the ace in the hole for their plans. She would never tell them that she wasn't 100%. She watched as everyone prepared to get ready for the mission.
Natasha observed the captured mutants with her arms crossed. They had captured a red haired mutant woman who called herself Strobe. She was wily and dangerous. She had been fearsome to battle, acting wildly and inflicting her unpredictable powers on the team. She could create bursts of heat and light, and even temporarily blinded Rogue when she set off to intercept the mutants. Her strobes lit up the entire building, freezing them in their tracks.
Rogue was able to lean on Laura's healing factor and gain her sight back quickly, touching her skin and absorbing her abilities. The Avengers watched, amazed, as she over took the other mutant. She fell to the ground in a heap and Clint promptly tied her up, eyeing his teammate. Rogue shook her head, her face grim. "Solves that. Might need those powers if Stryfe comes for us, anyways." She said solemnly, rubbing her head. It was becoming harder and harder to use her mutation these days.
"You good?" Steve asked, eyeing her closely. She nodded.
"Yeah. She's bein' mind controlled, can't tell by who. She should be fine when she wakes up." Rogue informed, standing defensively. She sensed him, someone moving very fast. Very familiar. 'It can't be... ' She was knocked into the wall of the S.H.A.R.D base with a slam. Natasha whipped out her stun bars and Clint his bow, everyone looking around. Thor whipped Mjolnir and Steve grabbed his shield, ready to attack. Bucky had a gun aimed within seconds.
Tony tensed, raising his hands to shoot when a white haired mutant appeared, sneered. Rogue was hovering quickly, shaking her head. "You..." She murmured. "I haven't seen you in years." Tony looked between them.
"Is there, like, an all mutant Facebook or something? How do you all know each other?" Rogue sent him a look before flinging her hand out. Pietro Maximoff tried to zip away, but Rogue's telekinetic hold held him still. Slowly, he levitated in the air and was left unable to get away. Her jerked wildly, glaring at the other mutant.
"H-Hey! Let me go!" He whined, straining against her hold. He still looked like the scrawny joker from high school. She hovered to him in the air and grabbed his face. He groaned in pain as she absorbed him.
"Sorry, no can do." He dropped into her arms and she set him down. She shook her head, the grimace on her face larger. "Ugh, he was bein' controlled, too." She reported. Her face darkened when his memories filled in that Stryfe and his agents had brainwashed him. "I don't know if Stryfe was here, but this was his doin'. Let's just send them to the Connecticut Compound, they'll be safest there."
Steve nodded towards Tony. "Yeah, everyone else is already gone. Damn. We need a real lead on where Stryfe is and what he's planning." Tony placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Something tells me we'll get that face off with him." He told him grimly, his face troubled. 'Be careful what you wish for, Cap...' They all moved in unison to head back to the to the plane when Rogue winced. She gasped in pain, and suddenly, all of their attention was on her. She burned under their stares, embarrassed and uncomfortable as she tried to straighten herself out.
"Ah'm-" She began but another cramp wracked her back, sending her to her knees. Steve frowned, approaching her.
"You're not, fine. You just sucked a lot of juice out of them." He worried. Thor leaned down carefully and scooped the girl against her will. She began to struggle weakly.
"There, there. Allow yourself some help." He chided, lifting her bridal style with ease.
"We'll get you looked at," Natasha reasoned, her brow furrowed. Rogue waved her hands dismissively and cleared her throat.
"I'm sure it was nothin'," She said, despite being clammy and covered in sweat. 'What is wrong with me?' She thought in confusion. 'Am I anxious? What?' She shook her head when Thor set her down gently in the seat of the plane. She slumped back tiredly, her body raw from exertion. 'What's wrong with me?' She wondered, her brain feeling fuzzy. She had been injured, infected with the Legacy Virus, and controlled but she's never felt like this. It was like giving birth to dread.
She tried to sequester herself, but her state was noticeable by at least one Avenger. Natasha. She was studying Rogue curiously, expertly as not to be noticed by the hostile mutant. She was very clearly in pain, even if she wouldn't tell her. She was holding herself, battling the pain to fight tremors and winces. 'Why won't she just trust us?' She wondered sadly. 'It must be lonely.'
When they arrived she waited for everyone to clear the plane. Rogue was climbing slowly to her feet when she spoke. "I can tell something is wrong, it's obvious." Rogue glared at her, sweat dripping down her brow. "Why don't you just let us help?" Natasha shrugged as she stared at her, one arm leaning on the wall.
"Ah'm fine," She snapped, panting heavily. "Jus'..." She stopped talking when another cramp rocked her. It was the worst pain she could she'd ever experienced. It spread throughout her whole body. This was wrong, very wrong. Something warm and painful spread out between her legs. She gasped, fully leaning her weight against the wall. When she heard Natasha gasp as well, she knew she was in trouble. 'Oh no...' She thought. 'Did Strobe actually injure me?'
"Nat!" They both heard Clint yell from outside. He knew his partner was trying to be nice, but he worried about the two picking each others brains. He could see it escalating. "Y'all comin'?" She stared helplessly at the bloodstain spreading over the legs of Rogue's uniform.
"Y-Yeah. We're talking. Girl stuff. We'll catch up with you later." He could tell she was fine by her voice and retreated with the others. She turned back to Rogue when he left, frowning. She moved quickly and grabbed an inhibitor collar, Rogue seldom wore her bracelet out there. She placed it carefully around Rogue's neck and turned it on. "Are you sexually active?" She looked fearfully into Rogue's eyes. "Could you be pregnant?"
Rogue's blood went ice cold. 'Could I be? Can I get pregnant?' She'd never had a heart to ask Hank because anyone who knew her knew how badly she wanted a family of her own. She assumed her mutation would always get in the way of successfully carrying to term. But that didn't necessarily mean she couldn't get pregnant. Right before she left she and Scott had been throwing protection to the wind.
And she'd been separated from Logan during this crucial time. If anyone would've known, he or Laura would have. There was nobody like that here. 'Oh god...' She thought, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. 'Oh no, not now...' She nodded when she regained control of her body. Natasha nodded slowly. "Okay, I'm gonna get you to the Med Bay to find out. It's either internal bleeding, or..." She let her voice trail off, contemplating how young Rogue looked.
'She's just a baby herself,' She thought, trying to remember what it was like to be newly 20. She was in her early thirties, her twenties a distant memory now. She threw her arm around her and supported her weight. Rogue frowned, struggling not to cry. "B-But..." Natasha smiled.
"Don't worry, they won't see a thing. Come on." She stepped carefully, her whole body shaking under the arm of the agent. She would've normally been embarrassed if she wasn't so scared. Her body was draining of energy rapidly, she'd never experienced anything like it since taking Carol's powers. 'I wish Scott was here...' She thought, scared out of her mind.
She watched as Natasha led her to an entrance to the building she'd never seen before, and straight to an elevator. They boarded quickly and landed on a floor Rogue hadn't been on, yet. It reminded her a lot of the infirmary back at the Connecticut Compound. She got her on a bed quickly and Rogue screamed out in pain. The amount of blood had grown alarming, leaving a trail all the way to the infirmary.
Rogue grabbed her abdomen and groaned through clenched teeth, making Natasha frown. "Hang on," She called, locking and shutting down the infirmary. Rogue laid back and suddenly felt lightheaded. She only whimpered this time as another cramp wracked her body. "Rogue?" Natasha called out as her vision blurred. 'Scott...' Rogue thought as she blinked her eyes.
Rogue came to an undeterminable amount of time later. She found herself hooked to an I.V and being monitored by Natasha. She jerked, sitting up suddenly. "What happened, how long was I-"
"About 30 minutes." She answered, her arms folded. "I'm sorry, Rogue. You were... A few weeks pregnant." Rogue's face went chillingly even as she thought about another life growing inside of her. 'I take life away, how could I ever give somethin' life?' "I'm sorry. Really." She pressed. Rogue nodded after a moment, her heart pounding. 'How am I gonna tell Scott? Kitty... Kurt... Logan. Everyone. We're still chasing this S.H.A.R.D lead...' She clutched her hands into fists.
"Rogue, you've completely healed from something that takes other women... Weeks." Their eyes met for a moment. "Physically." Rogue dropped her stare to her hands and decided she didn't feel like being difficult.
"One o' the things I've absorbed is a healing factor." She explained softly. "It's not as strong as my natural mutation, but it must've helped." She hugged herself, her mind clearly occupied.
"Listen," Natasha began. "I understand-"
"You've lost a pregnancy?" She could hear in her voice how small she felt. She frowned, swallowing hard.
"I can't have children, actually." Rogue averted her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Natasha came closer to the bedside. "There's someone you want to talk to about this, isn't there?" Rogue's lip trembled but she steeled her face. She wasn't sure if she wanted to ignore this or tell him. 'He should know. He would want to. He just asked to be let into your head.' Not even Rogue could pretend to not be affected by this.
"Yeah. I should." Natasha nodded, opening a window.
"There's an extra uniform for you, they get destroyed all the time. Go, fly to New York and take care of this, just get back soon." Rogue nodded dumbly, too exhausted to be weary of her helpfulness.
"T-Thank you..." Rogue stammered, in awe of her kindness. Natasha smiled softly.
"You've been through something shitty enough. Go, be with someone who can help you through it." She nodded as she exited the infirmary, leaving her alone. When she was sure she was alone, Rogue doubled over and began to sob. Loud, passionate, sobs the echoed throughout the giant infirmary. When she was done, she changed stoically and threw out her old suit. She took to the sky and flew in silence all the way to Connecticut.
It was a flight she could make in her sleep. She could've teleported, but she had a lot on her mind. Flying was good for that. It was perfect outside, balmy with a breeze as the sun set. The sky was washed in pink and orange as she landed on top of the familiar place. She inhaled the smells, realizing she'd been pining for Connecticut like it was New York. 'Home is where the X-Men are.' She thought. Natasha had been right, sharing this with Scott would be something that helped her through it.
She stared out onto the horizon when she spied Scott out on the lawn. With Emma. Her heart stopped. Not because of that, but because he looked happy. Calm. At peace. He had a kite flying into the sky, a dopey grin on his face. Rogue stopped and thought about the last bit of bonding she did with the mutant that wasn't over trauma. Even she and Logan shot pool in silence. Hiked in nature and rode motorcycles together. Tried to make meaningful memories in the time they had.
As Rogue watched, she began to feel that Scott was always unhappy around her. Worried. Stressed. With her gone, he and Emma were flying a kite. Rogue watched in silence for a moment until she realized that Scott's depth perception was not good enough to fly a kite, not as well as he was. 'She's...' Her face broke. 'She's in his mind, helping him.' It was so intimate it made Rogue's stomach hurt.
He was beside Emma, and he looked happier than he'd looked next to Rogue in ages. She shook her head. 'I can't...' She thought, shaking. She wouldn't sacrifice Scott's happiness for her peace of mind, not after everything he'd been through. He had to say goodbye to Jean for the good of the earth, he left and Rahne died. She knew him well enough to know he'd never forgive himself for that. It didn't matter what he did.
And now, Rogue had to join another team to hopefully stop Stryfe. She couldn't tell him she'd taken his kid with her and gotten it killed. She wouldn't. She stumbled back before one of them sensed her. She phased into the compound deftly, her eyes filling with tears. She looked around, trying to sense Logan. 'Where is he?' She thought, reaching out telepathically for him.
She bumped her back right into Piotr, who looked like he'd seen a ghost. This was Scott's worst nightmare. "Anne-Marie?" He gasped. "You are here?" She looked pale and exhausted. She was jittery, and her eyes anxious. Her nervous affect was beginning to worry him. His face became very serious. "Is everything alright?" She inhaled sharply.
"Uh, have you seen Logan?" Silence. The following look on his face was like Logan had died. Her heart hammered in her throat. "Piotr, is he okay-"
"He is okay, he just isn't here right now." He assured her. Rogue sighed and rubbed her temple. "Do you want to sit down-"
"I'm okay," She waved her hand. "Maybe, uh... Maybe my brother? Or Kit? I need to be talked off the ledge about something..." He began to look even more uncomfortable. 'What? Are they all gone? There can't be a mission. Scott is flyin' a damn kite with Britney Spears. What is it?' Piotr chewed his lip.
"Anne-Marie, something has happened..." He cursed to himself when he saw her face. She already looked devastated. "The X-Men... The X-Men are currently operating in two factions, two teams. Logan has taken some of us to the rebuilt mansio-" Rogue began backing away slowly. She shook her head, shaking.
"No, that can't be true... You're not with Kitty, Piotr? How could you?" She began, her voice rising. She trusted him to look after her while she was gone, and now the whole team was split in half. He bowed his head in shame.
"Illyana feels her place is here. She needs me, Rogue." Rogue wiped her hands over her face.
"How could they do this... Why didn't Ah know?" Now he looked guilty. She faced him. "Piotr..."
"We were instructed. Instructed not to inform you. By Scott." All the color drained from her face.
"Scott?" She repeated before she began to hear footsteps. She frowned. "Don't... Don't tell him I was here." She said, her eyes lowered. Piotr shook his head.
"But-" He didn't expect it to be him, but she need to talk to someone.
"Please, Piotr." He sighed and she teleported away, leaving the faint smell of sulfur and brimstone. Scott and Emma rounded the corner, looking around in confusion.
"Weird..." Scott murmured, thinking about the teleporting mutant. "I could've sworn Kurt was just here." Emma looked at him.
"You miss him, he's on your mind." She grinned. "All the more reason to reconcile with-"
"No." He answered flatly, passing by Piotr in the hall. 'None the wiser,' The Russian thought. But he couldn't get the mutant off of his mind. 'I am worried.' Kitty should know, as her close friend she'd he able to help her far better than he or anybody else could. 'I'll have to tell her, it is right.' He had agreed not to tell Scott, but not his girlfriend. He hurried to the screen in the Conference Room and dialed in to the institute.
He smiled when Kitty answered like he knew she would. She was wearing her hair in a ponytail and it made him feel nostalgic. "Peter!" She exclaimed warmly. "What did I do to deserve two calls today?" Her smile faded when she saw how worried he seemed. "P? What is it?" 'Oh my god,' She thought. 'It's happening. He's breaking up with me...'
"Hello, Katya. I miss you more every minute. But there's something else that I call about." He fidgeted nervously. "I saw Rogue." Kitty leaned in eagerly. Logan had been trying to contact her and the Avengers to fill her in on what had happened, but they hadn't been able to reach her. Now, she grew worried.
"I knew this would happen." Kitty growled angrily. She was livid when Piotr told her that Scott gag ordered everyone against telling her. "Does he know she knows?" He shook his head no.
"No, she arrived looking... Troubled already. She did not take the news so well." Kitty sighed, thinking about her friend. 'Poor Rogue...'
"I'll keep a look out here and try to contact her soon. Thanks for telling me, P. It means the world."
"Of course, Katya. I am thinking of you always. Be safe."
"I love you, bye bye." Kitty closed her laptop, her face lost in thought. 'What was she doing there...' Her mind wandered to Logan and she frowned. Rogue's distance was hard on him, but Scott's words had been even harder. He was trying to face his separation anxiety from the mutant head on. She was a woman now, she was no longer the runt with the loudest bark he felt required to protect. She was growing into his equal.
He poured his focus into mentoring the youngest students who'd followed him, and keeping his veterans sharp. His training was brutal, but fair. His followers could never say he wasn't fair. She knew delivering Piotr's vague and ominous message would send him down the rabbit-hole for her. She was torn, knowing it was something she needed to tag him in on, but knowing she shouldn't.
She leaned her head on her hand with a sigh as Rogue landed on top of the newly created institute. The sight took her breath away, and as she landed she let out a sob. She missed the days when they were all united, when the professor and Jean were still there. When the institute was the mansion, not a compound. When none of them had died. When Apocalypse was the most dangerous thing in the world. She winced as she felt a cramp.
She stumbled and looked down, a thin trickle of blood leaking out of the pants of her uniform. She gasped, realizing there was no way she could limp to Logan right now. Not like this. This was his worst nightmare. He never wanted to lead and be responsible for a group of kids like this. Not away from all of them. 'I can't,' She thought panicking that she'd be smelled.
A tear on her face, she teleported away and arrived at the Avenger's compound instantly. Laura sensed her the second she landed there. In less than two minutes, she was gone. Logan was preoccupied with working on drills and training exercises to make them strong enough to face danger. They took a hit in offensive forces, and he was losing sleep to make sure they were prepared and protected.
He didn't need anymore stress, so she went to investigate before filling him in. It felt deceitful and wrong, she shared everything with him. He was the only person she trusted fully. But she needed to decide whether or not a situation should be brought to him. She was on the roof moments later and sniffing around. She smelled it. Rogue's blood, and something else she wasn't sure of. She wrinkled her nose in worry. This was something he'd want to know.
A growl rumbled in her throat as she took off into the compound for Logan. She ran right into Kitty, loitering around outside the Training Room. "Kitty," She barked. "I kind of need to speak to him." Her voice was firm. Both girls were usually fine on the amount of attention the man set aside for them, but she wouldn't back down.
"I get it, Laura. But it's about R-"
"About Rogue." They blinked before watching him run an exercise course. Kitty sighed.
"Okay, maybe we both need to talk to him." She nodded solemnly. Logan quit the simulation when he realized they were both gathered outside, waiting. He approached them, panting and mobbed with sweat.
"Laura, Half-Pint. I'll eat in a few..." He frowned when their faces didn't lighten. "What is it?" Kitty and Laura looked at each other.
"It's Rogue." Kitty said, her gaze on the ground. "Piotr contacted me to let me know he saw her. She... Wanted to see you." His eyes narrowed. "She knows everything, that we've split... He said she already didn't look so good." She turned to Laura.
"I smelled her." Both their eyes went wide.
"What?" Logan snarled. 'How was I so distracted I didn't sense he here?' Laura squirmed uncomfortably.
"She didn't smell... Right. I smelled her blood, a little bit." Logan clutched a fist.
"Here?" The girl nodded. He cursed, wondering what she had shied away from telling him. 'Nothing I want to hear, guarantee that.'
"Go." Laura urged, staring at him intently with dark eyes. "You'll regret it if you don't." She told him knowing him well. Kitty nodded.
"I can't just leave this place-"
"You've trained us for this." Kitty insisted, her face firm. She would be a little scared without him there, but he had taught her how to be brave for years. He frowned at her.
"Peter's not here, Katherine. You sure? Somethin' happens to you, I gotta answer to him." She nodded. 'And myself.' Her screams as Sabretooth attacked her still haunt him.
"I got Kurt. And Hank! And everything you've taught me." He smiled at her, placing a kissing on her head. He ruffled Laura's hair to her snarls.
"That you do, Kitty. Laura," He turned to his clone. "Take care of her." She nodded, a silent understanding made. She had guaranteed her healing factor on Kitty's safety. "I won't be long. I just wanna make sure she's okay out there." They both nodded.
"We'll hold the fort down here. Go, check on her." He inhaled and took off to get ready.
D.C SHIELD Headquarters, Apr. 27th 9:28 pm
Natasha startled as Rogue teleported back the infirmary. She had just returned everything to the way it was, and Rogue hadn't been gone long at all. She frowned in confusion. 'Was she too nervous to do it?' She wondered. She didn't imagine it was an easy conversation. "Hey, that was... Kind of fast." She commented awkwardly. "Did you guys get a chance to talk about things?"
She winced when Rogue began to cry. 'Way to go, Nat...' She thought grudgingly. "I-I'm so-"
"I couldn't," She drawled, wiping her eyes with the back of her arm. "I couldn't. He was happy. I haven't seen him look that happy, that at peace in years." She gazed at the floor. "And I show up and tell him I was pregnant but I miscarried, and that's probably would always happen if I tried to have a baby..." She covered her face in her hands for a moment while Natasha watched. "I didn't think he was capable of being as happy as he looked, not after what we've all been through." She wiped her tears bitterly. "It was because Ah was removed from the equation."
Natasha nodded knowingly. "Heroes... Good for the world, not really good for your loved ones and family." She gave Rogue a sympathetic smile. "Being around you doesn't make him unhappy. It's hard for anyone to love a hero." She began to look wistful, her hands jammed in her pockets. "Y'know, Clint had a family." Rogue frowned. 'Had...' She thought sadly. "In our earth... He was a hero, the best one I ever knew. But if you wanted to have a family, you had to give it up. Whether to protect them from your enemies, or to be around for them later. Heroes don't get old." Rogue nodded, wiping her tears.
"He lost his family? When the world snapped?" Natasha blinked back tears, thinking about his children. "Didn't he?"
"They're not here, because we're not from this version of earth. When we made the snap it just merged us." She wiped at her eyes delicately. "That's the only reason he's still an Avenger." Rogue twiddled her hands.
"B-But... But do ya love Clint?" She urged, her heart aching. "Or is he just your partner?" Natasha smiled.
"It's never been romantic, if that's what you mean." She leaned back comfortably and crossed her arms. "But it was still a partnership, a relationship... I needed it to breathe. To feel like I could wade through this chaotic and scary world. Like there was even enough good in me to be an Avenger." Rogue could identify with that. "Love, those feelings aren't always tied to romance. Your soulmate can be in other ways, he's definitely that."
"And you let him go, for his family? In the other world, I mean." She nodded, her smile sad.
"Yeah. Because I loved him that much." Her expression became troubled. "Some of us get to put the shield or our powers down and live a normal life. People like us," She looked away, her face troubled. "We don't." A chill ran down Rogue's spine. She wiped at her face.
"Seems like we actually got a lot in common, huh?" She drawled, the ghost of a smile on her lips. Natasha chuckled.
"Yeah, it does." She looked at her more seriously. "Sure you're going to be okay?" The mutant steeled her face.
"Yeah, I am. I know what to do, now." She smiled graciously and tore off to her own floor to change into clothes. It felt good to peel her uniform off and put normal clothes on. Slipped into a green sweater, black pants, and a cropped leather jacket. With a sigh, she headed to an elevator and to the Conference Room to call Scott. Her head was still spinning that Scott didn't tell her about him and Logan separating the school. 'How could he...' She thought. She always thought he trusted her more.
She waited for the video call to go to his phone. "Rogue? Hey you, what's wrong?" He frowned once he saw her face. "Is everything okay?" She couldn't force herself to look at the screen.
"I..." He furrowed his brow and waited for her to continue her thought. "I came by. Looking for you and Logan. And Kitty. And Kurt." His face fell, but was then replaced by his usual, stoic facade.
"I didn't want you to find out that way." He said evenly. Off screen, Rogue's fists were clenched.
"You didn't want me to know at all!" She accused angrily. "How could you-"
"I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you. I didn't want you out there distracted." He insisted, his voice rising. "You didn't need anything else on your plat-"
"No, you didn't believe that I would stand by your side. That I'm your number two!" She cried, the tears beginning to fall. Bruce and Tony were watching awkwardly from the corner of the room, waiting for her to finish. "You were scared that I would pick Logan and you kept me in the dark." Scott pushed his mouth into a grim line. "It... It doesn't matter anyways. You're right, I have too much on my plate..." He started shaking his head.
"No, don't do this." He began. "Now is when we need each other more than ever!" Rogue wiped her face, thinking about how peaceful he looked with Emma.
"I can't give you what you need or what you deserve right now, not here. And you didn't trust me, Scott. When I'm done here, I'll be going back to the institute. I think it's for the best." 'You don't need to be stressed out unhappy all the time around me. That's the you that team needs, Scott. Not the one you are with me.' "I'm sorry, I wanted to do it in person..." She looked away as he stared at her in stunned silence. "I... I've got to go."
"Rogue, don't-" She ended the video call quickly and sat there, staring at the blank screen. Bruce and Tony had retreated somewhere else in the building, leaving her alone. She buried her face in her hands and sighed.