Warning: Sinister plots, conspiracies, Rogue's past revealed...
Rogue checked the dashboard, realising that she needed to make a pit-stop. Her stomach growled demanding sustenance. Her adrenalin was set to low, causing her to doubt her next steps.
Why was she out here again? Things had been so clear when she had set off early however many days ago. Now, she was tired, hungry and in severe need of a shower.
Still, she forced herself to turn left and signal taking in the gas station. It was all she could do not to wince as her meagre savings were drained. She stepped inside to pay and grabbed a few snacks, stopping as she caught sight of an aluminium carton. Its contents promoted a 'healthier option for the healthy-minded.'
'Healthy minded' echoed as she completed her purchase.
Once back in the car, she picked up the carton, looking for clues and only finding a location on the back. Something echoed about the place and with a sign giving it a destination of 30 miles away, it was all too clear that's where she should head.
XxX
It was the following afternoon that Logan arrived at the gas station, fresh on the scent of Rogue's trail. The days in between hadn't been easy on him or the others back home. His regular updates to Charles gave him the impression that the kids were terrified for their teammate and some were even blaming themselves, which was only to be expected.
Logan entered the shop, noticing the scent was stronger in front of the drink fridge. There was a space on the shelves.
"Hey bub, I think your fridge needs refilling."
The man looked up and as it was quiet, lumbered over.
"I'm not quite sure what was there. Hang on, I'll check."
"A friend of mine was in here recently, just short of me, red hair, you noticed her?"
He shook his head. "I haven't seen her, but I'll check the cameras."
Logan was surprised this place could afford cameras.
He waited for the man to set up yesterday's tape and Logan pointed her out.
"That's her. What did she buy?"
Having a time made the difference in getting the job done.
"Looks like she bought crisps, water and a shake. Wait a minute. I thought I told the boy..."
"Something wrong?"
"We ain't supposed to be selling the shakes anymore. I thought we cleared the last batch out."
Logan pounced on that bit of information. "What was so special about this?"
The shop-owner shook his head. "The drinks flooded the scene about three years ago. Claiming they were the next best thing for losing weight. People bought them up, claimed they could run 30 miles without stopping."
Logan snorted. "Let me guess, it didn't end well."
"No. People started hallucinating. Someone thought they could fly. They climbed onto the roof of a tourist spot and had to be cleared off the pavement."
"What was the name of these?"
"Healthy Highs. The company went bust after paying out for so many damages. Their factory isn't too far from here though."
That was all Logan needed to know.
XxX
After calling Charles and relaying what he'd discovered, Logan set his sights on the town by the borders of Montana.
Rogue's story was finally piecing together. Even so, they'd be having words about running off in the middle of the night. Just because she was his favourite and his boss's daughter, it didn't mean she could run rings around them.
The Professor would be on his way by now. He'd assembled a small team, not knowing what they'd need. Hank had stayed behind to do recon on the company and watch the ones that stayed behind.
Not that there were many.
XxX
Logan spied the car and felt the hood, it was stone cold. No signs of a struggle either. He looked up by chance and saw the x-jet. It had been upgraded recently and fit with a silencer, which was only too welcome now.
"You made it then."
"Has there been any sign of her?"
Logan motioned the car. "That's all I've found so far. Everyone split into two. No-one's going alone. We don't need another one missing."
The team split up, Logan with Kurt, Scott with the Professor, Storm with Kitty. Jean, who had been asked to stay behind, protested that they may need her telepathic abilities.
Amara smirked to the others, "They've got the Professor, why would they need you?"
Harsh perhaps but Jean tried to be gracious in her acceptance that she was surplus to requirements.
XxX
Logan cautiously entered the factory, taking time to catch Rogue's scent. It was fresh, meaning she was close.
He conveyed the message, scenting for anyone else who may be lingering. Finding none, they pressed on.
There was nothing special about the look of the factory compared to others of its kind. The current level at least.
He followed the scent down several flights of stairs, waiting for the spring to jump, or the unknown, unseen attacker to strike.
They passed what looked like a row of cubicles, long abandoned.
Kurt studied them carefully. "Is this vhere the people vorked?"
Logan snorted. "I doubt they were here willingly, bub."
He stilled, receiving word from Charles.
"I've tried numerous times to make contact but have thus far been unsuccessful. Something is either blocking me or..."
"Logan, come and see this!"
This was an old CCTV room with multiple screens and lockable cabinets. Empty cabinets.
"Charles, we need Kitty in here."
The young girl was known for her hacking abilities.
Soon all the team were together and Kitty had accessed forgotten files, meant to have been destroyed but only hidden.
"It looks like this is some research project for the shake we found. But why would they use kids?"
"Take a closer look; they're probably picked off the streets, used as lab rats?"
She accessed a few files, before finding one with the numbers, '18-15-7-21-5'.
"It looks like some kind of code."
She clicked on the files, saw the picture and looked closer. "Is that..."
Logan noted the wide-eyed, dazed expression as the one belonging to a thirteen year-old Rogue.
"Subject shows great promise and enthusiasm for project H." Kitty read the report aloud.
Project H, Healthy Highs.
"Subject discovered in New Orleans, abandoned, with a crushed left hand and significant damage to three ribs. Once Subject has healed significantly, she will be prepared for indoctrination."
"Erm Logan, check a look at this."
He looked up from the report to the top corner screen. Someone was running the track.
"It's probably old footage."
"No, that's her now; see how short her hair is."
Rogue, who had relished her long hair after her ordeal with Sabertooth, last November, had been devastated when in a danger room session, she had caught in the cross-fire and Scott's rays had blasted her lengthy pony-tail. She had sworn to wear her hair in a bun after that and had said how she should never have cut it.
"Why did you?" She was in the room she shared with Kitty, desperately trying to salvage her hair.
"Ah couldn't stand them calling us twins anymore."
"Who?"
"Her name is Annie but don't let her sweet, simple looks fool you. She's a demon."
Kitty had laughed, thinking she was exaggerating. Rogue didn't join in.
XxX
They found Rogue as she ran through the wooded area, drenched in sweat and in danger of passing out.
Logan's keen eyes caught the collar around her neck. "What the hell happened?"
"Ah don't know. Ah got here, ready to look and something rushed me." She pulled at the device, feeling a short sharp shock. "They said Ah wouldn't be able to take it off until Ah complete the course."
A voice barked through the collar. 'Subject is in rest mode.' Her body felt a larger current. 'Remember, your sacrifice will mean our survival.'
She started jogging on the spot. "I'm five miles in."
Kitty and Kurt gave a cheer, only to find the others looking at them. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Ah've got another 25 to go."
"We'll run with you, Logan can do it in his sleep."
"We'll all take turns."
They ran through the night, feeling guilty that Rogue was unable to stop. Kitty and the Professor returned to the CCTV room to hunt for more files. They came across schematics for the device Rogue wore. The only way it came off was if the course was completed.
Kurt and Scott were scouring the building for anyone else. Systematically, they heard voices that matched the ones from the device.
'Your sacrifice will mean our survival.'
'There is no such thing as a good calorie.'
'Giving up is for the weak.'
They followed the voices to a control room that operated in the lower levels beyond the basement. Here they found out that the voice they heard wasn't from an actual person, but a hologram.
Rogue was being indoctrinated by a hologram.
"There's something troubling me. If the device only comes off when the course is completed, what happens to those who don't finish?"
It was a question no-one wanted to answer.
Dawn was breaking as Rogue reached her last mile. That's where she came across the same patch she'd seen in the Danger room. The time where she'd thrown up. Panting with exhaustion, her body was willing her to give in to the sweet release of collapse, but the device announced itself.
"Congratulations Subject 18-15-7-21-5. That was your personal best. Proceed to the maze for your final test."
Logan eyed Rogue. "How are you holding up kid?"
She shook her head. "Don't ask me, let's just go."
Logan was eager to move them along. He'd caught a scent that despite the best efforts to clean up didn't succeed. All the team had been asking themselves what happened to the ones that didn't make it. Logan didn't want to share his ideas. Not with Rogue. She didn't need that thought process. But he communicated them to the Professor.
"How is she coping?"
"We've got one last maze but I'm not holding up any hope that it's going to be easy."
"Remember, the shake provided the consumer with hallucinations."
"I already confiscated that, Charles. I'll be in touch."
Rogue was up ahead, scanning the surroundings. They all looked clear, despite the morning mist, but that didn't mean anything.
Both crept forward, their bodies primed for a strike as they entered the maze.
Logan's senses were on high alert, the adrenalin pumping as they reached the centre without any trouble, only to find the reason why.
Standing above them, was an oversize climbing frame that towered above them all.
The device crackled, 'Subject must go up and over.'
XxX
There was no safety equipment available. No helmets, nothing to support her on this journey.
The fixtures were crudely made and probably laced with traps. Rogue felt a shock, urging her on.
"I'll be right behind you kid. We'll face this together."
She gave a nod and ascended the first level, pulling herself up to the next. Logan waited until she was higher up, only for the structure to break at the touch of his foot.
Storm heard the crash.
"Don't worry Logan, I'll take it from here." She began to ascend slowly. Matching the girl's pace.
Rogue kept a steady pace, noting the different materials used for this construction. The wood used was sometimes smooth, other times rough with thorns like those found on a rose. They were often unexpected and damaging to Rogue's hands, despite her constant glove-wearing.
The wired parts were the worst, as there was no other leverage. She felt the adrenalin fade in and out, causing her body the shake and her palms to sweat, resulting in several slips that were it not for Storm, would have proved fatal.
"Ya know, Ah think Ah know how Ah came to be injured."
"Now is hot the time to discuss it." Storm replied, pragmatic as ever.
Storm's communicator allowed the rest of the team to hear the progress. The others had come to a similar conclusion. None could really sleep but neither could they watch, especially when they couldn't help. Kurt had attempted to teleport her to the other side, but ended up earning them both a shock, after which he was swiped back down, with the Professor there to lower him telepathically.
"Man, I do not vant to do that again."
They were reaching the half-way mark, when a sensation of peace descended over the girl. A feeling that all was well. Some may have described it as reaching a plateau.
"You know, Ah never thought Ah'd be able to do something lak this."
"Like what?"
"This course. Ah always hated P.E and anything involving people. Ah realise it may not be so special to y'all because you get to do hero stuff all the time, but Ah don't mind admitting Ah'm proud."
Down below, the others were disturbed. Not for Rogue showing such pride but by the sudden change in demeanour.
Logan frowned. "Watch her Storm; she had some of the drink. It led to people thinking they could fly. It weren't called Healthy Highs for nothing."
"Poor Logan, he shouldn't be so worried all the time. He'll send himself to an early grave." The jubilation was increasing, matched adrenalin and the overpowering sense of over confidence.
She pushed herself further out, stretching the impact of her hand on the rope.
"Kid, stop playing around."
"Relax Logan, Ah've made it this far haven't Ah?"
Storm approached as close as she could. "Yes, you've done well but you've still some way to go. Perhaps you'll be kind to finish, so we can go home?"
Rogue took that minute to look down and regretted it. She could barely see the others; even the X-Jet looked miniscule.
"Storm? Ah don't think Ah can do this."
"Of course you can. You're half-way now. All you need to do is climb over the top and then you'll be on the way back."
Rogue shook her head. "No, Ah'm gonna die here. Ah'm not meant to finish the course. None of us were."
"You're the only one here now."
She shook her head, her grip tight on the rope. "But not before. It was an experiment. That's what Captain Crush'em and Commander Basher told us. They needed people to test the products and they chose people that didn't matter. Transients, homeless, even the addicts. You know why?"
"No, but I can guess."
"We were the ones that didn't matter, that's why our lives were expendable."
Another voice joined their conversation. "You matter Rogue. No matter how harshly you choose to think of yourself, please don't assume the same of everyone else. We all care for you. We are here for you. We need you to finish this and come home, where you belong. Do you understand me?"
The Professor's voice, usually calm and patient, was filled with real concern. Those that heard it knew how much he cared for them all and did not begrudge him this state of emotion.
"Please Rogue, come home."
She looked briefly into Storm's eyes and nodded. With care, she placed one arm onto the pole, swinging her leg over. As she swung her other leg over, she noted the change in the temperature of the construction.
"It's getting a little warm here."
"What d you mean?"
"This whole thing, the longer Ah touch it, it's getting hotter."
The urgency was increasing once more.
"Quickly, child. We must get you down."
She didn't think of the distance, only focused on where her feet were heading. The temperature continued to change, sending a mix of burning and freezing sensations.
When there were still two-thirds of the way to go, the whole thing started to shake, forcing Rogue to grip tighter. There was a steady need to finish versus the need to let go and allow nature to take its course and be done with it all.
Before the need became too great, she caught sight of the others. They weren't so miniscule now and she could hear them cheering her on. The attention bordered on over-whelming but that was something to consider later.
The shaking continued along with the change in temperature but her goal was in sight and she was ready to have this whole ordeal over.
As they reached the lower levels, where the foot-eaves were broken, deliberately or not, Rogue tightened her hold on the post and allowed herself to slide down it, focusing her eyes on her feet rather than anything else.
As she reached the bottom, the shaking increased and the construction began to disintegrate. Parts physically came apart and the X-men spread further away, with Logan and Storm pulling either side of Rogue, for fear she'd lost the energy.
By the time they reached the X-Jet and Rogue ran her hands over the collar, it had been deactivated. She removed it gladly, staring at it with pure hatred.
"May I?" The Professor held out his hand.
"Sure be my guest. Ah nevah want to see that thing again."
He chuckled lightly. "We can discuss this properly later but I want you to know how very proud I am of you. We all are."
Rogue couldn't meet his eyes. "Oh please, can you not?"
"Fine, I shall concede for now. Logan, let's get home."