Hi, all! This chapter references to chapters 13- 18! Just to let you know. Damn, that was a while ago. ^.^ Thank you for reading and please review! A simple happy face will make the hours of work I put into writing this chapter worth it!
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Taunting Repartee
Chapter Forty-Seven
'Can we go home ,now?' Emma asked dryly to Garydon. 'After we meet your brother ,of course. But it's obvious that Rogue can take care of herself.'
'Emma-'he started to protest.
'Graydon think about this for a moment. Really let it sink in...Rogue manipulated Magneto," Emma exclaimed. '...Magneto: one of the world's most powerful mutants and your baby sister manipulated him...' she thought to him before pausing. His eyes widen in disbelief.'...She doesn't need our help,' Emma finished bluntly.
Graydon glanced over at his sister as she hung up the phone. There was a smile on her face. She seemed to be completely in her element while talking to Magneto. Not only that, but Rogue was enjoying herself, he had realized. Emma was right, she didn't need their help. He doubted that she wanted it, either.
'...Okay, we can go home today,' Graydon sighed.
Charles Xavier sat uneasy as he listened to Rogue and Magneto converse in German. Once again she was smiling, laughing with him. Given the language barrier, the only thing he was able to gleam from the exchange was that Rogue was controlling the conversation. Until she switched back to English and then her control was painfully apparent. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Was Magneto only humoring her, or was she truly able to pull the wool over his eyes?
He honestly wished that she would stop speaking in German was while talking to him. He knew little enough as it was, but Rogue's actions continued to handicap him. He suspected that the switch had not been entirely necessary, but he wasn't sure. There were so many things he was uncertain of at the moment.
He was extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation and it seemed as though he was powerless to change a thing. A fact that was frustrating him to no end. Once he knew everything then perhaps he could think of someway to tip the scales in his and the X-Men's favor.
Charles studied Rogue's face as she hung up the phone. She seemed disappointed that she had to end the conversation. Her eyes quickly glanced up at him. There was pride in her gaze, she was clearly happy with the outcome of that conversation. She held his gaze for a moment. Her gaze shifted around the table before she let out a sigh. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
'Sorry about talking in German like that. I know it's makes ya uncomfortable. I'll go into detail about that after Gray and Emma leave, okay?' Rogue asked.
'You don't wish to talk in front of them?' he asked confused.
'Not when they're gonna have ta report everything we say to Magneto,' she told him.
'… Very well,' he said before Rogue opened her eyes again.
"You okay, sis?" Graydon asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed a second," Rogue said.
"Do you need some water?" Hank asked.
"No thanks, Mr. McCoy," Rogue said with a slight smile. "I'm just gonna go run ta the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes," she said.
"Take all the time you need, Rogue," Charles said he watched her stand up. She smiled at him slightly as she turned to leave the room.
Kurt wasn't going to be home for another half hour or so. He had wanted to continue learning what had taken place the last couple of month. But now that he knew they could not speak freely, in front of Miss Frost and Mr Creed, he wasn't sure what they should talk about. He glanced over at Mr Creed and Miss Frost; the boy looked up at Emma. It seemed the two of them were conversing telepathically again. He let out a sigh as he moved away from the table to refill his mug with coffee. A gesture which should buy him at least twenty seconds. This was going to be a very long half an hour...
Magneto frantically reviewed the file he had prepared on his spare lab-top. He had written out a document detailing the format and some guidelines of the draft for the truce. If nothing else, he was, at least, going to control that aspect of their dealings.
For the past fifteen minutes he had contemplated his next move and was satisfied with what up he had planned. With this last act his apologize to Anna would be complete and never could she hold against him the crimes he had committed against her in the past.
His meeting would began soon but he wanted to get this computer to Rogue before the meeting overtook his schedule and more importantly while Emma Frost and Graydon Creed were still guaranteed to be within the institute. They're presents was necessary for this point to really sink in for hi girl.
"Father?" a heard a voice call out.
"Pietro, please come in," Magneto called out. The door quickly opened: within a second he was standing in front of his desk.
"So, what's so important?" he asked.
"I need you to deliver something for me," Magneto said; not taking his eyes off of the computer screen.
"Sure," Pietro said; even though they both knew Magneto had not exactly asked him to. It was expected that Pietro would follow his orders; without question or complaint. Thus far, his son had never disappointed him. "Who's it to?" he asked.
"Rogue," Magneto answered as he surveyed the files one last time.
"Seriously?" Pietro asked confused as Magneto began to turn off the computer. "So, she's a spy?"
"No, she isn't," Magneto said as; frustrated at how long it was taking the lab-top to shut down. "But An-" he started to say before he stopped himself. "The situation is very complicated, Pietro and I do not have the time to explain it fully," he said more sternly than he had meant.
"Sorry, sir, I didn't mean to pry. I-" Pietro started to rant until Magneto held up his hand. The apology was unnecessary and he didn't have time for it.
"I need you to listen carefully, my son, because I do not have time to give these orders twice." Magneto watched Pietro's eyes light up in joy at the use of, 'my son'.
"Yes, sir," he said with a nod.
"Go to the Xavier Institute..." he started to say.
Rogue let out a sigh as she walked down the hall, away from the Professor and the others. Everyone's faces were stuck in her mind. The looks of disgust were starting to get to her. Was it really so bad that she liked him?
'You've done nothing wrong,' the fragment of Magneto said; after a moment.
'Then why was everyone looking at me like that?' she asked annoyed as she walked into the bathroom. It's was only a few feet down the hallway, towards the elevator. She stopped himself from slamming the door behind her; instead closing it gently.
'Because they do not understand. Charles is gasping at straws; attempting to learn all that has occurred. He is only now fully realizing the danger he and his students wer ein...Were, of course, being the key word there, my girl. You have successfully protected them,'he said as she washed her face.'This truce will be enacted. The only question now is who will dictate the majority of the terms,'he said. Rogue let out a short laugh as she reached for the towel.
'That would be me, sugar,'she thought with a smirk before she dried her face.
'That remains to be seen, Anna. My counterpart could still claim control,' he insisted as she hung up the towel on it's rack.
'I wouldn't let him,' she thought strongly as she glanced at himself in the mirror.
'Charles could also attempt to get his way,' the fragment warned.
'Prof ain't my enemy and I ain't gonna start treating him like he is cause of this truce. I'll explain ta him tha-'
'That you wish to meet with me at least once a week, for hours on end, to learn how to control your abilities; a task that will primary involve the two of us touching? I'm certain he won't have any objections to that,' he said as she rolled her eyes.
'Ya know, if ya ain't gonna say anything helpful, ya could just be quiet,' she pointed out.
'Who are you really annoyed with, mygirl; me for speaking the truth or Charles for the argument you know is inevitable?" he asked.
"I ain't annoyed at anyone," she exclaimed frustrated.
"Rogue," Ororo's voice called out concerned.
"Fuck," Rogue muttered under her breath. "I'm fine," she called out before she walked over and opened the door; sure enough Ororo was standing in front of it. "I'm fine," she repeated calmly. "I'll be out in a few minutes," she repeated before she closed the door. She sat down on the toilet seat cover and let out a sigh.
'Rogue?' the Professor projected into her mind.
'I said I was fine,'she repeated annoyed. The fragment let out a chuckle at her tone.'Shut up, Max,'she ordered.
'You could choose not to converse with him,'the Professor suggested.
'It ain't that simple,'she sighed.
'Why is that, Rogue? Is the fragment threatening you in someway?'the Professor asked.
'Not now he ain't,'she huffed. There was a long pause.
'...So, the fragment has threatened you in the past?' he asked.
'...Yeah, he has,'she thought; wishing she had just thought 'no'.
'When?'the Professor asked. Rogue let out a sigh as she exited the bathroom.
"I might as well just keep telling ya what's been going on," Rogue said as she walked back up to the table. "Okay, so ya know when ya asked me if he threatened me again on February thirteenth?" she asked. The Professor nodded.
"The answer to which was yes," the Professor pointed out. "Would it be too painful, for you, to ask how he threatened you?"
"...Kinda, I just don't want to, okay?" she asked. The Professor nodded once again.
"So, after he threatened me, I was ordered to go back to my bedroom. I did as I was ordered to but he wasn't there- no, he was there in the room. I just couldn't see him. Anyway, he knocked me unconscious and when I woke up he was gone. It was just me and the fragment. I was scared... of everything. I would've jumped at my own shadow at that point but hm- right the fragment, it had been altered by someon-"
'Mastermind,' the fragment supplied.
"Mastermind," Rogue repeated, "and he didn't have half of Magneto's memories. 'Cause of that he was a totally different person. He didn't remember any of the time we had spent together so, he didn't give a shit about me and he let me know that right away. He hated me for absorbing him. He didn't understand Max's feelings for me and he resented the both of us for his imprisonment in my mind."
"The only thing he wanted was to get back to Magneto and continue his work for mutant-kind, but he couldn't do that unless I called Max. Way he figured he could get me ta do that was by torturing me psychologically," Rogue paused at the few gasps that emanated from everyone at the table. "He tried to break my spirit, so I would say yes to Max and join him. He threatened to undo all the training the two of us had done with my powers-" she said before pausing.
She could go into more detail by already she could feel the tears forming in her eyes. It was taking all of her willpower not to fall into a flashback; to explain what had occurred while staying far enough detached from the memories to keep herself going. "It was the worst four days of my life, and considering the fucked up shit I've had to deal with, that is fucking saying something," she finished embittered.
"...So, were you right, sis?" Greydon started to ask as her eyes snapped to meet his. "Did Magneto knowingly let you to be psychologically tortured?" he asked calmly; but Rogue could see the rage in his eyes.
"...I- I haven't asked him yet," Rogue muttered. "Prof, Emma, could you both, please, listen ta the answer with me?" she asked.
"Of course," he said as Emma huffed "Sure."
"Thanks," she said to both of them.
'So?' the Professor asked the fragment.
'...Yes and no,' Magneto answered after a moment; clearly choosing his words with care, 'I knew my counterpart was going to test her resolve. But I didn't know to what extent. I was genuinely shocked to learn to what extremes he had gone to and I meant my promise to keep it from ever happening again,'he finished.
'That's certainly convenient,'the Professor said dryly.
'That's what I said,' Rogue said, 'but he's telling the truth. You can feel that, right?' she asked; part of her relieved that she wasn't gaining another reason to hate Magneto.
'Yes, I can,' Emma said as the Professor nodded before they both left her mind. "He didn't know the fragment was torturing her," she said aloud for everyone's benefit.
"The fragment didn't know that the fragment was doing this? How is that even possible?" Ororo asked confused.
"Different fragments," Rogue said. "It's complicated, but every time I absorb someone again the fragment that was already in my mind and the new one merge into one being. That fragment has all the memories of being out in the real world and being in my hea-"
Charles's concentration from the conversation waned as he heard a voice in his mind.
'Chuck, I caught Quicksilver sneaking around the grounds,'Wolverine said.
"Prof, Emma, what is it?" Rogue asked. Charles glanced at Emma Frost, she had a hand to her temple.
"It's Quicksilver, he's here," Charles answered.
"That was fast," Rogue said with a smirk. "I'll be right-" she started to say as she stood up.
"Rogue, please stay where you are. Logan, bring Quicksilver down to sub-level three," Charles said both aloud and in Wolverine's mind as Rogue sat down again.
'On my way,' Wolverine answered.
"Look, I already told you, I wasn't sneaking around," Quicksilver said the elevator door's opened. Charles watched as Quicksilver rushed away from Wolverine to Rogue's side; he had a large backpack on his back. "I was looking for the entrance," he insisted.
"That bag for me?" Rogue asked.
"Yes, Commodore," Quicksilver smirked as he saluting at her; Charles eyes widened at the title.
"You're the commodore?" Mr Creed and Miss Frost exclaimed in union, as Rogue exclaimed in anger, "He's called me that in front of other people?"
"Well, that's a yes," Miss Frost with a short laugh as Rogue let out groan.
"I am gonna kill him," Rogue shouted.
"I thought you two were forming so kind of a truce?" Quicksilver asked smugly as he twisted the empty seat next to her around and sat down in it, leaning his arms forward over the headrest of the chair.
"Fuck," Rogue exclaimed annoyed. "Well, I'm yelling at him, next time I see him," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"You get to yell at Magneto?" Quicksilver asked disbelief.
"Any time I want," Rogue muttered as Charles watched her gestured for the bag. Quicksilver gave it to her quickly.
"Man, I wish I was second in command," Quicksilver smirked. His comment was accompanied by Rogue sighing and a gasp from Storm.
"You're Magneto second in command?" Hank asked confused.
"No, not anymore," Rogue said quickly as she placed the backpack by her side.
"You were?" Wolverine asked enraged.
"I was blackmailed into the position, Logan. He had Prof, god knows where. He had eight telepaths helping him carry out the emergence; holding the entire town of Bayville captive. I didn't know what else ta do. I joined him to free everyone else," Rogue said yelled. "I was his second in command, but I ain't anymore," she finished strongly. Wolverine growled.
"Logan please calm down," Charles said.
"Hmm- Rogue according to Magneto you still are his second in command," Quicksilver told Rogue. "And I just talked to him like five minutes ago," he said as Rogue rolled her eyes.
"Alright, lets get this over with. What other comments did Magneto tell you ta slip into the conversation?" Rogue asked annoyed.
"That you out-rank everyone in his organization; expect for him. If you give me an order I have to follow it. If you give me an order for the brotherhoodthey have to follow it."
"Us as well," Miss Frost started to say, "If I had known yesterday that you're the commodore I would have followed that order you gave."
"What she said," Quicksilver said pointing at Miss Frost. "Also, that Gambit, Pyro, Colossus, Cargrill, and Mastermind will all be aware that you're the commodore by the end of the day and they will follow any order you give. He said that it was up to you to tell Sabertooth whatever you want to tell him, if anything. What else did he say?" he asked himself. "Oh yeah, Emma you're supposed to tell Betsy and your sister about Rogue being the commodore. I'm suppose to tell a whole bunch of other people. My job's to spread the word after this meeting," he said.
Magneto was giving her complete authority over his people? But why?
"I'm ordering you not too," Rogue said; surprising Charles. And why was Rogue playing along with it? "Emma you're my brother's girlfriend. Not my subordinate. You can do whatever the hell you want to... Although Magneto's probably gonna give you call a later tonight and order you ta do it anyway, and he's gonna ask for a full report on what we've all talked about here," Rogue said before rolling her eyes.
"Sorry," Mr. Creed said.
"It's alright, I've held back from going inta detail about some stuff. You ain't gonna tell him anything he doesn't already know," Rogue said. "Pietro, I know Magneto's gonna reorder you to tell everyone. And when he does, tell him I said if he's so hell bent on telling everyone in his organization he considers me his second in command he can go to the trouble of informing them himself. If he ain't willing to do that, than it ain't that important to him and we might as well forget he brought it up," she finished.
"I will deliver the message, my commodore," Quicksilver said; saluting at her again.
'Perhaps she's hoping he will choose to forget the offer if he has to endure the work of telling everyone?' Charles asked himself; but doubted that was the case.
"Ah- why commodore?" Pietro asked with a smile.
"It was a bad joke," Rogue sighed with a smile as she took off one of her gloves. "Pietro, don't move," she ordered before she put her figure onto his cheek. Rogue maintained the contact with Pietro for a few seconds before she broke the contact. Her eyes closed she pulled up Pietro's mind and entered. There were two things she wanted to know. The first was time consuming and it would have to wait until she was alone; she wanted to relive the conversation Magneto had with Pietro giving him these orders.
The second was much easier; she wanted to make sure that all the cameras Pietro had set up the other day were fake.
'I already took them all down, Dad's orders,' the fragment of Pietro told her. Rogue replayed what he had just said from her point of view; he was telling the truth. 'They're all in the bag,' he said.
'Ya sure ya didn't miss any?' she asked him as she opened her eyes and picked up the bag.
'Positive,' he said as she opened it up. All the cameras were in a separate bag. She took it out and handed it to Pietro. "Bring these back to your father," she ordered.
"You got it," he said.
"If ya leave now you should just catch him before his meeting begins," Rogue said.
"Later," Pietro said before he rushed off with the bag into the elevator. Rogue let out a sigh as she took out the lab-top and placed it on the table. She took a deep, she had a lot of work to do and not enough time to do it. Having to explain all of this business about being second in command was only going to take more time from her planning.
'Manipulative jackass,' she thought as she turned on the computer.
"Rogue?" Charles asked calmly. Rogue let out a sigh as she glanced up from the computer screen.
"Magneto brought this up today for three very important reasons. The first is he's still apologizing ta me. Giving me this amount of authority ensures that no matter what happens between us I have recognized power within his organization that I'm free to ignore or exploit," she started to explain.
"The second is he's been wanting me to join him for a while now. This way both of us win. He's gets ta say I'm on his team and we all know that the X-Men are my first choice. I know that second in command might seem a bit excessive of a title for him to give me," she started to say.
'It most certainly does,' Charles thought to himself.
"Especially when we both know I have no real intention of using the power he's given me access to. But if I ever did decide ta join him for real the only difference would be my title. He's already promised me an equal partnership. He wants me to co-lead his organization with him," Rogue said as Charles eyes widened.
"Magneto must truly have faith in your abilities, Rogue," Ororo said before he could.
"He does," she smiled; Charles watched Rogue's eyes light up in joy. "No one's ever had as much faith in my ability to succeed before. He thinks- he knows that I'm capable of anything I put my mind to. He's told me that so many times, and he shown me that he's right. A lot of the ordeals he's put me though have been painful, I'm not gonna lie about that. But because of them I've had to ask myself so many hard questions about my ideology; what I believe in, why I believe it, what I'm willing ta do to protect those things, those people, that are important to me. A part of me is really grateful to Magneto for teaching me that and so many other things about myself these past few months," she said as Charles continued to study her.
"Rogue," Miss Frost started to ask, "are you in love with Magneto?" she asked carefully. Rogue was silent for a moment; her eyes grew distance.
"...No," she said to Charles' relief. "...not yet," she added a moment later was nearly as comforting. "But my feelings for him are getting stronger. Before when I was taking lessons from him; when he was pretending to be the fragment, I could feel myself starting to fall in love with him. But he was pulling back from me," she said.
"He was?" Mr McCoy asked.
"Yeah, he was," she confirmed; but she offered nothing further. "Anyway, after I found out the truth, I was the one pulling away from him. I fought my feelings for him every chance I had. I got mad at myself for having them. I questioned their legitimacy. I asked myself whether I was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome or not," she said his eyes widened in surprise.
"What's Stockholm Syndrome?" Graydon asked. Rogue opened her mouth to speak.
"It's alright," Miss Frost said, "we'll look it up later."
"I'll explain the syndrome to anyone else who would like to know, later as well," Charles said.
"Thanks," Rogue said with a smile. "Well, when it comes to that, I've asked myself, I've brought it up to Magneto more than once," she said.
"What did he have to say on the matter?" Charles asked.
"He's denied it a few times. He' says the basis for our feelings for each other happened while he was pretending to be the fragment. That I wasn't afraid of the fragment at that point in time, so my feelings are legitimate. I don't think I agree with him completely on that. The whole situation is so damn complicated. But with where we're at right now, I don't really care about where my feelings come from anymore."
"That's the very definition-" Charles started to say.
"I know," Rogue interjected. "And I know I should care but I just don't. I know you're probably gonna have something to say about that Prof and I'll be willing to listen but," said said. She paused for one moment and let out a deep sigh.
"The third reason why he brought this up today is that I only have fours days to control the negotiations completely. Once we're in that restaurant with him anything can happen. The more terms I map out in my mind before we get there the better the end result will be for the X-Men. He wants ta keep me here in front of ya all explaining things for as long as possible. When I really need to be doing is working on the truce," she stressed holding eye contact with him, "for as much time as I can spare for the next few days," she finished. Rogue's eyes were on him. She was clearly waiting for him to respond.
Magneto's words kept echoing in his mind:'I suggest you allow Rogue to do most of the arguing. She's far more skilled at it than you are. Especially, when I am her opponent.'
"...Go ahead. We'll talk on Sunday," Charles said after a moment.
"Thanks for understanding," Rogue said with a smile. She closed the top of the lab-top as she stood up.
"Rogue, I know this might seem absurd but-"Charles started to say as Rogue picked up the back pack and put it on.
"I have ta go ta school?" Rogue asked as Mr. Creed stood up.
"Yes," Charles confirmed.
"Okay," Rogue nodded. "I just wants things ta get back ta normal too," she said before she turned to her brother.
"Good luck, sis," Mr. Creed said Charles watched them hug. "Could you give me a call when this is all over?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'll let ya know how it went," she smiled as she pulled back and picked up the lab-top. "And you can tell me about meeting Kurt?" she asked happily.
"Absolutely," he grinned.
"I'll see ya all later," Rogue said before she walked away from the table and down the hall.
Again, thanks you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! :)
