Title: A Cajun an' a Canucklehead
Author: Lilith
Email: LilithAD@aol.com
Rating: PG--mild language
Summary: Rogue meets Remy and tries to sort out her mixed feelings, Logaeads back home
Spoilers: Movie, thats really it...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of 'em. Dammit.
Feedback: If I have to get down and beg, I'll do it! Please!
Author's Notes: This part of the story doesn't have Rogue and Logactually interacting, it's just her and him thinking about each other. Nexart will have them together though!
(1) Think Rogue from X-Men: Evolution without the leather skirt, replacith pants.
The motorcycle sputtered to a stop on the deserted Canadian road. The hairan on it swore, using extremely explicit language.
"Outta gas, again?" he muttered, growling. "I swear, Cyke cursed the damhing." The man known sometimes as Logan, sometimes as Wolverine,
contemplated his situation. He had left civilized towns and gas stationehind at least four hours ago, and it would take him all night to get bacy foot. He didn't know what lay farther down the road, but he was willino bet that civilization was even farther that way. With a growl, he got ohe bike and began to wheel it back the way he'd came. As he walked, hihoughts wandered. He thought about a recent battle--a battle won, but haearly lost him a dear friend. His thoughts turned sour, as they alwayid, when he thought of her. He remembered the battle, clear as day, anhen he had touched her face...and nothing happened...he'd wanted to die.
Because she was gone, his promise broken. And when he'd felt the familiaraining sensation, his first thoughts were of relieif, and joy...and then,
How the hell is she gonna stop it!? Luckily, Rogue had managed to push hiway, where blackness took him. He had left her, and the X-Men, after that.
He'd needed some time to help him gather the peices of his past. He felad about leaving her alone with those geeks, even if she did seem to bitting in okay.
Honk honk-- a truck passed by, slowing down and stopping.
"Hey, pal, y'need a ride?" called a heavily accented voice. Logan turned took at the driver of the truck. A young woman, blonde, with sparkling bluyes was leaning out of the truck window.
"Sure, why not?" he called. "Alright." she turned the truck off and gout.
"Wheel yer bike 'round back." She walked over to the back of the truck anpened the back door. She lowered a ramp and helped Logan wheel his bikp.
"Thanks," he said grouchily. She didn't notice his tone.
"'S fine." She got back into the cab of the truck, and he got into thassenger seat. "I'm Hanna," she said, holding out her hand. Logan took it,
not wanting to offend his ride. Hanna put the truck into gear and starteriving. Remembering his first encounter with a young mutant called Rogue,
Logan put his seat belt on, grinning to himself.
The girl, Rogue, runs through the mall. All around her debris fall, and shovers her head with her hands to ward off the smaller peices.
"Jean!" she yells. "Jean!"
Rogue, you shouldn't be here-but you're the only one close to the
Professor. Keep him safe!
"Gotcha."
Rogue runs around a corner, and spots the professor lying on the ground,
his wheelchair not in sight. "Professor!" He looks startled, and turns took at her.
"Rogue! I-I didn't know you were here!"
"Jean told me t'keep ya safe, Professor. Where's your wheelchair?" Roguyes move to the fight that's moving towards them. Sabretooth, loodthirsty mutant, is destroying the mall, and policemen are fighting osing battle.
"I don't- DUCK!" Rogue ducked as a black-clad figure hurls over her heand slams into Sabretooth. "Rogue, that's Ms. Marvel, the worst of all the
Brotherhood! You must stop her!"
"How, Professor? I don't wanna touch her-"
"You must! The others are too far away, you must drain her! And no mattehat happens, hold on!"
"Ah don't think thats such a good idea..."
"Trust me, Rogue." Professor Xavier looks at her confidently, and she nods,
trusting his judgement. As Rogue inches away towards the black clad super-
villain, Professor Xavier's eyes flash yellow...
Rogue creeps up on Ms. Marvel, who is sorting through the debris. Roguuietly removes her gloves, and sneaks up on her. Ms. Marvel is too busooking through the rubbish, she doesn't hear Rogue... Rogue grabs thoman's face, and Ms. Marvel's skin turns sickly. The veins push out, anhe pale color turns slightly green. Rogue's skin does the same thing, aner eyes widen.
"Hold on, Rogue! Don't let go!" The Professor's voice rings in Rogue'ars.
"Something's wrong, Professor! Something's really wrong--" Rogue is cut ofs Ms. Marvel screams, trying to pull Rogue off. She flies into the air,
bursting through the ceiling of the mall, and into the daytime sky.
"Why--are--you--doing--this--to me?" gasps Ms. Marvel.
"'Cause your an evil mutant, lady!" says Rogue. Her mind is being floodey memories, by new sensations...and a memory of joining the Avengers...
"But I thought the Avengers were good guys..." Rogue thinks, as Ms. Marveasses out in her hands.
"Huh?" says Rogue. "How did I get...here...that girl was sucking the lifutta me--oh, no!!!!!" Rogue sees the body in her hands. "But…but thats me!
Where am I?" She flies through the hole in the mall and sets Ms. Marveown gently. "But if thats my body...but I'm here...I don't understand!"
"Rogue!" Ms. Marvel, in Rogue's body, turns, to see Jean Grey, Storm and
Cyclops heading towards her. "Rogue, are you alright? Where's the
Professor? What happened to--Ms. Marvel?" Jean sees the body lying at
Rogue's feet, and the girl's bare hands. "Rogue, what is going on here!?"
"Rogue?" Ms. Marvel in Rogue's body asks, bewildered. "Who's--
Arghhhhhh!!!!" Rogue/Ms. Marvel doubles over, clutching her head.
"Rogue! What's wrong?!" says Storm. Jean closes her eyes and looks inside
Rogue's head.
Inside Rogue's head, it's extremely hard to find Rogue. There's so manther people trapped in here-Wolverine, a boy Jean doesn't know, Magneto...
"Rogue!" Jean calls, searching through the many personalities that liormant in Rogue's mind. "Jean! Here!" Jean turns to find Rogurestling with—
"Ms Marvel?" Jean whispers. "Rogue, did you absorb her?!"
"The Professor said she was a member of the Brotherhood!" Rogue pins thpirit Ms. Marvel to the 'floor' of her mind. "Jean, ah need to takontrol o'my body! She's taking it away!" Jean floats over, and grabs Ms.
Marvel. She creates a psychic cage, and imprisons the woman.
"No!! Jean, I thought we were allies! Let me kill this little bitch!"
"Shut up, you disgusting--"
"Stoppit!" yells Jean. "Rogue, sort through Ms. Marvel's memories, you'lee the truth." Rogue frowns, and Ms. Marvel cries out. "Stop taking theway from me!" she cries, clutching her head. Rogue raises her head.
"She-she's not evil." Jean nods. "B-but the P-professor said she was ember of the Brotherhood, that she was evil! He lied t'me!"
"I don't know what he was thinking, either," admits Jean. "Look, she'ltay here. You take control. She won't go anywhere." Ms. Marvel screams anounds on the bars of her mental cage.
Jean opens her eyes, free from Rogue's mind. Rogue lies on the floor,
clutching her head. She opens her eyes, and gets up. There are tears in heyes, but her eyes are angry.
"Professor!" she yells. "Why didja lie t'me?" She runs over to where shast saw the Professor. He's on his feet, helping Toad to his. "Professor!"
Xavier looks back, and his eyes are yellow. "Mystique!" Jean closes heyes again and scans the "Professor"'s mind.
"It's definatly Mystique," replies Jean. Cyclops fires an optic blast aer, which she dodges with ease. Toad grabs her and hops away.
"Dammit!" Cyclops curses. Rogue glares. "She's lucky ah'm a lady. Else ah'ay somethin' real rude." Rogue curses anyway, and Cyclops looks at her.
"Where'd you pick those up?"
"Logan," she says, grinning and tapping her head.
"Uh, Cyclops," says Storm, flying above them. "We have company." The threthers turn to find Sabretooth, Mystique and Toad standing behind them.
Storm fires lightning bolts, which the three dodge. Rogue frowns, and runt Toad. To her surprise, she flies into the air and slams into Toad. Hoes flying and goes straight through a wall.
"What the-!?" Rogue says.
"You've got Ms. Marvel's powers!" says Jean, holding Mystique ofelekinetically. "She's super strong, and can fly!"
"Really?" Rogue launches herself at Sabretooth, punching him in the face.
He flies back through a wall too. "Cool!" She punches at Mystique, whodges the blow and whips out a knife.
"Rogue!" yells Cyclops. But it's too late. Mystique, with an evil grin,
stabs Rogue in the back...and the knife bounces off her skin.
"Oh, yeah. Ms. Marvel's invulnerable, too," says Jean. Rogue turns anicks Mystique in the stomach, sending her through a different wall thahe other two.
"All in a day's work," she says, landing. She dusts off her gloves, whiche has put back on.
"Mes breves, watch out!" a brown-haired guy throws something glowing pinehind them, and it explodes. They all go flying, laning at the teen'eet. Sabretooth is lying in a crater behind where they were just standing.
The teen offers a hand to Rogue, to help her up.
"May ah help ya up?" he asks gallantly. She frowns, and gets up withouis help. He shrugs, takes out a deck of cards and begins to shuffle them.
"Yer a mutant too, ah presume?" says Rogue, brushing off her coat.
"Remy LeBeau at y'service," he says, bowing gallantly.
"Hmph," Rogue replies. She looks at Jean, who probes his mind gently.
His thoughts are like quicksilver! It's almost impossible to read them.,
says Jean telepathically into everyone's head.
Oh, well, we can always do this the hard way, thinks Rogue. She turns tim and places her hands on her hips.
"Listen, we here are th' X-Men. We're good guys. Now, yer either on ouide, r' yer not. Which is it?" Remy opens his mouth, almost speechless.
Then he chuckles.
"Wit' you all de way, chere," he says.
Hmm...that's a genuine Cajun accent if ah ever heard one. Rare, t'find a
Cajun 'round here. They usually stick t'swamps.
"Ah, chere, d'y'know dis man?" Remy points over to a pile of debris.
Sticking out is an arm, and the top of a bald head.
"Professor!" says Rogue, running over to him. Jean and the rest see him econd after her, and they hurry over, Remy following. Rogue picks up uge metal support beam in one hand, tossing it over her shoulder. It'bout to land on the other X-Men, when Jean moves it with her mind. Remooks impressed.
"Professor!" Rogue picks him up, carefully. She seems to be adapting to heew strength well. "D'you see his wheelchair anywhere?"
"Here it is," says Storm, poking a metal wheel with her boot. "Well, somf it."
"Ah think we better get back t'the mansion," says Rogue. "He ain't lookioo good."
"I agree. Jean, you go with Rogue. Storm, you come with me, we're going tearch for injured. Uh, Remy, I think you should go with Rogue and Jean."
"Sure t'ing, homme," says Remy. "Eh, which one o'you is Jean?"
"I am," says Jean, holding out her hand. "Dr. Jean Grey." Remy takes heand and kisses it.
"Remy LeBeau. Now, chere, what say you t'going t'dis mansion o'yours?"
Rogue gives an unladylike snort.
"A real cajun gentleman," she says. "Jean, y'can take th'pretty boy, ah'leet y'all at the mansion." With Xavier in her arms, she flies through thole in the ceiling Ms. Marvel made. Remy stares up at her, and Jeaurpresses a smile.
"Come on, Mr. LeBeau, we'll take Cyclops' bike," she says, grabbing Remy'and and running off before Cyclops can protest.
"Oh well," says Cyclops. "We can always fly home."
Rogue lands on the mansion grounds and hurries in. Classes are going on,
and she sneaks down into the cold metallic lower levels. She places Xavien a table and waits for Jean, nervous. Soon after, Jean comes running in,
followed by Remy. She wheels the Professor into another room.
"Rogue, why don't you show Remy upstairs. He thinks he'd like to stay wits." Rogue looks at Remy, blushing slightly.
"Sure, j-just what ah need, some Cajun tellin' me what t'do." Jean noticehe direction her thoughts are taking and ducks out of the room, smilinaliciously.
"Uh, mmm, come on, uh, Remy," Rogue says, leading him out of the room.
"Students aren't supposed t'know 'bout the lower levels, so don' mention i'any of the others."
"Sure, darlin'. Never did catch yer name," Remy says smoothly.
"'S Rogue." She leads him up the elevator, which opens into a plusallway. "This is the first floor. Most of our classes are arounere...ow!" Rogue bends down, clutching her head. "Marvel--stay put!"
"Who, Rogue? What's wrong, chere?" Remy bends down and moves to take heace in his hands. She jerks away.
"Don't touch me!"
"Shh, chere, 's okay, Remy's not gon' touch you. C'mere." He pulls her und puts her arm around his shoulder, and supports her with his arm.
"Chere, where's your room?" "
Up...stairs..." Rogue clutches her temple with her free hand, leanineakly on Remy. "She's...tryin'...t'get out..."
"Shh, 's okay. C'mon, one foot in front o'de other..." Remy supports her ahey stumble towards the normal elevator.
"Bobby!" Rogue exclaims through her pain, as Bobby Drake bumps into thefter stepping out of a classroom. He springs up and shuts the door.
"Rogue, what's wrong? Who's this?" Bobby eyes Remy suspisiously.
"'S Remy, Bobby...Bobby, Remy..." Rogue takes Remy's hand, and he pulls hep, supporting her. "Jus'...mah head. Gotta real bad headache."
"Here, lean on me," says Bobby, concerned. Rogue nods slightly, and thrower arm around Bobby's shoulders. The two boys carry her to the elevatond manage to get in. Bobby presses the button, and they head up. Roguoubles over again, clutching her head.
"Rogue, chere, hang on, we're almost dere-" The doors open, and the thretumble out. Bobby points in the direction of her room, and Remy nods.
"C'mon, chere, jus'a lil' farther..." they make it to her room, where Roguollapses onto her bed.
"What's wrong, Rogue?" asks Bobby. "'S, nothing, ah tol' ya," she says,
smiling weakly.
"Migrane." The lights in the room go out, and Bobby whirls around, ready tind someone threatening him with a gun. It's just Remy, but...hiyes...are glowing.
"Whoa, what kinda mutation to you have?" asks Bobby, amazed. Remy ignoreim, going over to Rogue.
"Dat better?" She nods, smiling.
"Bobby, y'go back t'class. Remy here'll take care o'me fine." Bobby glaret Remy, who glares back. With his glowing red eyes, Remy wins the unspokeontest hands down.
"You sure, Rogue? It's no problem, I'm sure my teacher'll let me stay-"
"Bobby, it's fine," Rogue says, her voice pained.
"Jus', go back t'class now." She winces. Bobby glares at Remy once lasime, and leaves.
"Chere, dis ain't no migraine," says Remy. "What really wrong?"
"Ah'll...tell ya later, Remy," Rogue says, closing her eyes.
"Ah need t'make sure ah'm around t' tell ya."
Ms. Marvel pounds on the bars of her cage, grabbing dormant personalitiend stirring them to life inside Rogue's mind. They attack, wrestling heo the ground, trying to gain control of that desperatly craved body. Witer new strength, Rogue fights most of them off, and there aren't that mantrong psyches in her mind. Rogue knocks Magneto's psyche dormant, anurns to face--Wolverine.
"Logan!" she says, wiping a speck of blood off her lip. "Are...am ah gonnight ya too?"
"You absorbed her? Ms. Marvel?" Logan's voice is deadly. His eyes ararrowed.
"Ah...ah thought...the Professor said she was...evil. Logan, ah didn'now!"
"She's my friend, bub, one o'the only ones I have. And you hurt her."
"Logan, you've got friends! You've got Jean! An' Storm, an' Cyclops, an'
th' Professor...an'...y'got...me."
"You don't understand, kid, she's an old friend. And you destroyed her. Yotta pay." In one smooth move Wolverine pops his claws and lunges at
Rogue. She flies up, and he flies past her, smashing into Ms. Marvel'age.
"Logan, lemme out! I can help you defeat her!" Wolverine glares at Rogue,
and begins slashing at the cage with his claws.
"Wolverine, no!" Rogue flies into him, throwing him away from the cage.
"Wolverine, ya gotta understand...ah didn't mean to!"
"Ya gotta understand, kid...I DON'T CARE!" Wolverine lunges at her, alix of his claws burying themselves in her chest. Rogue screams. She leanorward, and kisses Wolverine on the lips. They both fall to the 'ground'
in Rogue's mind. Logan's eyes are wide, not expecting this from her. Hisyche begins to go dormant again, and his claws retreat into his knuckes.
The holes in Rogue's chest close, and part of Wolverine's psyche goeormant as the other...merges with Rogue's. Ms. Marvel howls, screaming heage. Rogue flies over to her cage, and stirs up Magneto's psyche. Shbsorbs him, too, and melds the bars of the cage together, so there arnly small openings near the top. Ms. Marvel yells and pounds on the cage,
tears streaming down her face.
"I'll get you for this, Rogue!"
Rogue opens her eyes. Wolverine's first instinct is to punch out the persoitting by the bed, and Magneto's is much the same. Rogue fights theiendencies and sits up, rubbing her head.
"Chere?" asks Remy quietly. "Ya okay?"
"Fine," says Rogue shortly. "Look, ah gotta...be alone...for a lil' bit.
Could ya..."
"Sure, chere," says Remy. "Ah'll be waitin' fer ya right outside, so yeed anyt'in', jus' call." Rogue nods, and Remy leaves. Rogue rolls over,
tears in her eyes. Why did Wolverine's psyche try to kill her?
He's like my father. And he hurt me. Rogue wiped away a couple of tears. Aidn't mean t'absorb Ms. Marvel. It shoulda worn off by now,
but...somethin's wrong. She's still in mah head, an' ah still have heowers. An' memories...in me. Don' know whats mine anymore. Is the deeffection ah feel for Wolverine...mine...or hers? Or both? One things feure, all th' feelin's fer th'cajun are mine. Don' think she knew 'im. Hoo ah feel 'bout Remy? He's han'some, an' he seems real sweet, but...hoan anyone love me...knowin' they can''t touch me? Ah jus' have t'tell 'im,
and that'll be th'end o'that. He won't even try t'get close. An' it's foh' best. Rogue gets up, locks her door, and slides into something nouite so torn up. She notices six holes in her shirt, on her chest...anipps it off, tossing it in her garbage. She puts on a black tank top and ee-through green long-sleeved shirt. She pulls on a pair of black leatheants and platform leather shoes. She slips a black leather choker on,
careful not to poke herself with the spikes. She pulls on leather bikeloves and a studded bracelet.(1) Rogue looks at the dog tags hanging oer mirror. She had taken them off before sneaking to the mall--theangled, and would have given her away in a fight. She smiles, and sliphe chain over her head.
Remy whistles. "Lookin' good, chere," he says as she leaves her room. Shlushes, then glares at him.
"Better'n' you," she says. He raises an eyebrow. "Uh, Remy, she says,
looking at him. "What...what's your power?"
"Ah can charge up objects, causin' dem to blow up." Remy looks at her, hiyes burning into hers. "Dunno what up wit' my eyes." Rogue nods, unable took away.
"When ah touch someone, ah absorb their personality. If it's a mutant, absorb their powers, too. Ah can't control it. Even if ah don't want to, absorb them." She looks at him, to see if he understands. Remy nods, anffers her his arm.
"Shall we go down t'dinner, chere?" Rogue snorts, but takes his arm. Theescend the stairs. Wolverine's personality begins to wear off, and Rogulushes as people stare at them. They do present a strange sight...trikingly handsome cajun with burning red-on-black eyes, and a beautifuouthern belle with a white streak in her brown hair.
"It 'pears we're de spotlight o'de evenin', huh chere?" says Remy into hear. Rogue giggles and slaps his arm lightly.
"Ow!"
"Oops...sorry, ah just got th'super strength t'day, not used t' it..." shmiles sweetly.
"'S okay, chere," Remy grins back. She turns her head away, smiling.
Ding-dong... The doorbell of the mansion rings. Rogue takes her hand from
Remy to go answer the door.
"Ah got it!" she calls, and opens the door. Her eyes widen as she seeho's standing there...
"L-Logan?" she whispers, her eyes wide as saucers. Sure enough, Logatands there, looking exactly as he did when he left three years ago.
"Hey kid."
Author: Lilith
Email: LilithAD@aol.com
Rating: PG--mild language
Summary: Rogue meets Remy and tries to sort out her mixed feelings, Logaeads back home
Spoilers: Movie, thats really it...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of 'em. Dammit.
Feedback: If I have to get down and beg, I'll do it! Please!
Author's Notes: This part of the story doesn't have Rogue and Logactually interacting, it's just her and him thinking about each other. Nexart will have them together though!
(1) Think Rogue from X-Men: Evolution without the leather skirt, replacith pants.
The motorcycle sputtered to a stop on the deserted Canadian road. The hairan on it swore, using extremely explicit language.
"Outta gas, again?" he muttered, growling. "I swear, Cyke cursed the damhing." The man known sometimes as Logan, sometimes as Wolverine,
contemplated his situation. He had left civilized towns and gas stationehind at least four hours ago, and it would take him all night to get bacy foot. He didn't know what lay farther down the road, but he was willino bet that civilization was even farther that way. With a growl, he got ohe bike and began to wheel it back the way he'd came. As he walked, hihoughts wandered. He thought about a recent battle--a battle won, but haearly lost him a dear friend. His thoughts turned sour, as they alwayid, when he thought of her. He remembered the battle, clear as day, anhen he had touched her face...and nothing happened...he'd wanted to die.
Because she was gone, his promise broken. And when he'd felt the familiaraining sensation, his first thoughts were of relieif, and joy...and then,
How the hell is she gonna stop it!? Luckily, Rogue had managed to push hiway, where blackness took him. He had left her, and the X-Men, after that.
He'd needed some time to help him gather the peices of his past. He felad about leaving her alone with those geeks, even if she did seem to bitting in okay.
Honk honk-- a truck passed by, slowing down and stopping.
"Hey, pal, y'need a ride?" called a heavily accented voice. Logan turned took at the driver of the truck. A young woman, blonde, with sparkling bluyes was leaning out of the truck window.
"Sure, why not?" he called. "Alright." she turned the truck off and gout.
"Wheel yer bike 'round back." She walked over to the back of the truck anpened the back door. She lowered a ramp and helped Logan wheel his bikp.
"Thanks," he said grouchily. She didn't notice his tone.
"'S fine." She got back into the cab of the truck, and he got into thassenger seat. "I'm Hanna," she said, holding out her hand. Logan took it,
not wanting to offend his ride. Hanna put the truck into gear and starteriving. Remembering his first encounter with a young mutant called Rogue,
Logan put his seat belt on, grinning to himself.
The girl, Rogue, runs through the mall. All around her debris fall, and shovers her head with her hands to ward off the smaller peices.
"Jean!" she yells. "Jean!"
Rogue, you shouldn't be here-but you're the only one close to the
Professor. Keep him safe!
"Gotcha."
Rogue runs around a corner, and spots the professor lying on the ground,
his wheelchair not in sight. "Professor!" He looks startled, and turns took at her.
"Rogue! I-I didn't know you were here!"
"Jean told me t'keep ya safe, Professor. Where's your wheelchair?" Roguyes move to the fight that's moving towards them. Sabretooth, loodthirsty mutant, is destroying the mall, and policemen are fighting osing battle.
"I don't- DUCK!" Rogue ducked as a black-clad figure hurls over her heand slams into Sabretooth. "Rogue, that's Ms. Marvel, the worst of all the
Brotherhood! You must stop her!"
"How, Professor? I don't wanna touch her-"
"You must! The others are too far away, you must drain her! And no mattehat happens, hold on!"
"Ah don't think thats such a good idea..."
"Trust me, Rogue." Professor Xavier looks at her confidently, and she nods,
trusting his judgement. As Rogue inches away towards the black clad super-
villain, Professor Xavier's eyes flash yellow...
Rogue creeps up on Ms. Marvel, who is sorting through the debris. Roguuietly removes her gloves, and sneaks up on her. Ms. Marvel is too busooking through the rubbish, she doesn't hear Rogue... Rogue grabs thoman's face, and Ms. Marvel's skin turns sickly. The veins push out, anhe pale color turns slightly green. Rogue's skin does the same thing, aner eyes widen.
"Hold on, Rogue! Don't let go!" The Professor's voice rings in Rogue'ars.
"Something's wrong, Professor! Something's really wrong--" Rogue is cut ofs Ms. Marvel screams, trying to pull Rogue off. She flies into the air,
bursting through the ceiling of the mall, and into the daytime sky.
"Why--are--you--doing--this--to me?" gasps Ms. Marvel.
"'Cause your an evil mutant, lady!" says Rogue. Her mind is being floodey memories, by new sensations...and a memory of joining the Avengers...
"But I thought the Avengers were good guys..." Rogue thinks, as Ms. Marveasses out in her hands.
"Huh?" says Rogue. "How did I get...here...that girl was sucking the lifutta me--oh, no!!!!!" Rogue sees the body in her hands. "But…but thats me!
Where am I?" She flies through the hole in the mall and sets Ms. Marveown gently. "But if thats my body...but I'm here...I don't understand!"
"Rogue!" Ms. Marvel, in Rogue's body, turns, to see Jean Grey, Storm and
Cyclops heading towards her. "Rogue, are you alright? Where's the
Professor? What happened to--Ms. Marvel?" Jean sees the body lying at
Rogue's feet, and the girl's bare hands. "Rogue, what is going on here!?"
"Rogue?" Ms. Marvel in Rogue's body asks, bewildered. "Who's--
Arghhhhhh!!!!" Rogue/Ms. Marvel doubles over, clutching her head.
"Rogue! What's wrong?!" says Storm. Jean closes her eyes and looks inside
Rogue's head.
Inside Rogue's head, it's extremely hard to find Rogue. There's so manther people trapped in here-Wolverine, a boy Jean doesn't know, Magneto...
"Rogue!" Jean calls, searching through the many personalities that liormant in Rogue's mind. "Jean! Here!" Jean turns to find Rogurestling with—
"Ms Marvel?" Jean whispers. "Rogue, did you absorb her?!"
"The Professor said she was a member of the Brotherhood!" Rogue pins thpirit Ms. Marvel to the 'floor' of her mind. "Jean, ah need to takontrol o'my body! She's taking it away!" Jean floats over, and grabs Ms.
Marvel. She creates a psychic cage, and imprisons the woman.
"No!! Jean, I thought we were allies! Let me kill this little bitch!"
"Shut up, you disgusting--"
"Stoppit!" yells Jean. "Rogue, sort through Ms. Marvel's memories, you'lee the truth." Rogue frowns, and Ms. Marvel cries out. "Stop taking theway from me!" she cries, clutching her head. Rogue raises her head.
"She-she's not evil." Jean nods. "B-but the P-professor said she was ember of the Brotherhood, that she was evil! He lied t'me!"
"I don't know what he was thinking, either," admits Jean. "Look, she'ltay here. You take control. She won't go anywhere." Ms. Marvel screams anounds on the bars of her mental cage.
Jean opens her eyes, free from Rogue's mind. Rogue lies on the floor,
clutching her head. She opens her eyes, and gets up. There are tears in heyes, but her eyes are angry.
"Professor!" she yells. "Why didja lie t'me?" She runs over to where shast saw the Professor. He's on his feet, helping Toad to his. "Professor!"
Xavier looks back, and his eyes are yellow. "Mystique!" Jean closes heyes again and scans the "Professor"'s mind.
"It's definatly Mystique," replies Jean. Cyclops fires an optic blast aer, which she dodges with ease. Toad grabs her and hops away.
"Dammit!" Cyclops curses. Rogue glares. "She's lucky ah'm a lady. Else ah'ay somethin' real rude." Rogue curses anyway, and Cyclops looks at her.
"Where'd you pick those up?"
"Logan," she says, grinning and tapping her head.
"Uh, Cyclops," says Storm, flying above them. "We have company." The threthers turn to find Sabretooth, Mystique and Toad standing behind them.
Storm fires lightning bolts, which the three dodge. Rogue frowns, and runt Toad. To her surprise, she flies into the air and slams into Toad. Hoes flying and goes straight through a wall.
"What the-!?" Rogue says.
"You've got Ms. Marvel's powers!" says Jean, holding Mystique ofelekinetically. "She's super strong, and can fly!"
"Really?" Rogue launches herself at Sabretooth, punching him in the face.
He flies back through a wall too. "Cool!" She punches at Mystique, whodges the blow and whips out a knife.
"Rogue!" yells Cyclops. But it's too late. Mystique, with an evil grin,
stabs Rogue in the back...and the knife bounces off her skin.
"Oh, yeah. Ms. Marvel's invulnerable, too," says Jean. Rogue turns anicks Mystique in the stomach, sending her through a different wall thahe other two.
"All in a day's work," she says, landing. She dusts off her gloves, whiche has put back on.
"Mes breves, watch out!" a brown-haired guy throws something glowing pinehind them, and it explodes. They all go flying, laning at the teen'eet. Sabretooth is lying in a crater behind where they were just standing.
The teen offers a hand to Rogue, to help her up.
"May ah help ya up?" he asks gallantly. She frowns, and gets up withouis help. He shrugs, takes out a deck of cards and begins to shuffle them.
"Yer a mutant too, ah presume?" says Rogue, brushing off her coat.
"Remy LeBeau at y'service," he says, bowing gallantly.
"Hmph," Rogue replies. She looks at Jean, who probes his mind gently.
His thoughts are like quicksilver! It's almost impossible to read them.,
says Jean telepathically into everyone's head.
Oh, well, we can always do this the hard way, thinks Rogue. She turns tim and places her hands on her hips.
"Listen, we here are th' X-Men. We're good guys. Now, yer either on ouide, r' yer not. Which is it?" Remy opens his mouth, almost speechless.
Then he chuckles.
"Wit' you all de way, chere," he says.
Hmm...that's a genuine Cajun accent if ah ever heard one. Rare, t'find a
Cajun 'round here. They usually stick t'swamps.
"Ah, chere, d'y'know dis man?" Remy points over to a pile of debris.
Sticking out is an arm, and the top of a bald head.
"Professor!" says Rogue, running over to him. Jean and the rest see him econd after her, and they hurry over, Remy following. Rogue picks up uge metal support beam in one hand, tossing it over her shoulder. It'bout to land on the other X-Men, when Jean moves it with her mind. Remooks impressed.
"Professor!" Rogue picks him up, carefully. She seems to be adapting to heew strength well. "D'you see his wheelchair anywhere?"
"Here it is," says Storm, poking a metal wheel with her boot. "Well, somf it."
"Ah think we better get back t'the mansion," says Rogue. "He ain't lookioo good."
"I agree. Jean, you go with Rogue. Storm, you come with me, we're going tearch for injured. Uh, Remy, I think you should go with Rogue and Jean."
"Sure t'ing, homme," says Remy. "Eh, which one o'you is Jean?"
"I am," says Jean, holding out her hand. "Dr. Jean Grey." Remy takes heand and kisses it.
"Remy LeBeau. Now, chere, what say you t'going t'dis mansion o'yours?"
Rogue gives an unladylike snort.
"A real cajun gentleman," she says. "Jean, y'can take th'pretty boy, ah'leet y'all at the mansion." With Xavier in her arms, she flies through thole in the ceiling Ms. Marvel made. Remy stares up at her, and Jeaurpresses a smile.
"Come on, Mr. LeBeau, we'll take Cyclops' bike," she says, grabbing Remy'and and running off before Cyclops can protest.
"Oh well," says Cyclops. "We can always fly home."
Rogue lands on the mansion grounds and hurries in. Classes are going on,
and she sneaks down into the cold metallic lower levels. She places Xavien a table and waits for Jean, nervous. Soon after, Jean comes running in,
followed by Remy. She wheels the Professor into another room.
"Rogue, why don't you show Remy upstairs. He thinks he'd like to stay wits." Rogue looks at Remy, blushing slightly.
"Sure, j-just what ah need, some Cajun tellin' me what t'do." Jean noticehe direction her thoughts are taking and ducks out of the room, smilinaliciously.
"Uh, mmm, come on, uh, Remy," Rogue says, leading him out of the room.
"Students aren't supposed t'know 'bout the lower levels, so don' mention i'any of the others."
"Sure, darlin'. Never did catch yer name," Remy says smoothly.
"'S Rogue." She leads him up the elevator, which opens into a plusallway. "This is the first floor. Most of our classes are arounere...ow!" Rogue bends down, clutching her head. "Marvel--stay put!"
"Who, Rogue? What's wrong, chere?" Remy bends down and moves to take heace in his hands. She jerks away.
"Don't touch me!"
"Shh, chere, 's okay, Remy's not gon' touch you. C'mere." He pulls her und puts her arm around his shoulder, and supports her with his arm.
"Chere, where's your room?" "
Up...stairs..." Rogue clutches her temple with her free hand, leanineakly on Remy. "She's...tryin'...t'get out..."
"Shh, 's okay. C'mon, one foot in front o'de other..." Remy supports her ahey stumble towards the normal elevator.
"Bobby!" Rogue exclaims through her pain, as Bobby Drake bumps into thefter stepping out of a classroom. He springs up and shuts the door.
"Rogue, what's wrong? Who's this?" Bobby eyes Remy suspisiously.
"'S Remy, Bobby...Bobby, Remy..." Rogue takes Remy's hand, and he pulls hep, supporting her. "Jus'...mah head. Gotta real bad headache."
"Here, lean on me," says Bobby, concerned. Rogue nods slightly, and thrower arm around Bobby's shoulders. The two boys carry her to the elevatond manage to get in. Bobby presses the button, and they head up. Roguoubles over again, clutching her head.
"Rogue, chere, hang on, we're almost dere-" The doors open, and the thretumble out. Bobby points in the direction of her room, and Remy nods.
"C'mon, chere, jus'a lil' farther..." they make it to her room, where Roguollapses onto her bed.
"What's wrong, Rogue?" asks Bobby. "'S, nothing, ah tol' ya," she says,
smiling weakly.
"Migrane." The lights in the room go out, and Bobby whirls around, ready tind someone threatening him with a gun. It's just Remy, but...hiyes...are glowing.
"Whoa, what kinda mutation to you have?" asks Bobby, amazed. Remy ignoreim, going over to Rogue.
"Dat better?" She nods, smiling.
"Bobby, y'go back t'class. Remy here'll take care o'me fine." Bobby glaret Remy, who glares back. With his glowing red eyes, Remy wins the unspokeontest hands down.
"You sure, Rogue? It's no problem, I'm sure my teacher'll let me stay-"
"Bobby, it's fine," Rogue says, her voice pained.
"Jus', go back t'class now." She winces. Bobby glares at Remy once lasime, and leaves.
"Chere, dis ain't no migraine," says Remy. "What really wrong?"
"Ah'll...tell ya later, Remy," Rogue says, closing her eyes.
"Ah need t'make sure ah'm around t' tell ya."
Ms. Marvel pounds on the bars of her cage, grabbing dormant personalitiend stirring them to life inside Rogue's mind. They attack, wrestling heo the ground, trying to gain control of that desperatly craved body. Witer new strength, Rogue fights most of them off, and there aren't that mantrong psyches in her mind. Rogue knocks Magneto's psyche dormant, anurns to face--Wolverine.
"Logan!" she says, wiping a speck of blood off her lip. "Are...am ah gonnight ya too?"
"You absorbed her? Ms. Marvel?" Logan's voice is deadly. His eyes ararrowed.
"Ah...ah thought...the Professor said she was...evil. Logan, ah didn'now!"
"She's my friend, bub, one o'the only ones I have. And you hurt her."
"Logan, you've got friends! You've got Jean! An' Storm, an' Cyclops, an'
th' Professor...an'...y'got...me."
"You don't understand, kid, she's an old friend. And you destroyed her. Yotta pay." In one smooth move Wolverine pops his claws and lunges at
Rogue. She flies up, and he flies past her, smashing into Ms. Marvel'age.
"Logan, lemme out! I can help you defeat her!" Wolverine glares at Rogue,
and begins slashing at the cage with his claws.
"Wolverine, no!" Rogue flies into him, throwing him away from the cage.
"Wolverine, ya gotta understand...ah didn't mean to!"
"Ya gotta understand, kid...I DON'T CARE!" Wolverine lunges at her, alix of his claws burying themselves in her chest. Rogue screams. She leanorward, and kisses Wolverine on the lips. They both fall to the 'ground'
in Rogue's mind. Logan's eyes are wide, not expecting this from her. Hisyche begins to go dormant again, and his claws retreat into his knuckes.
The holes in Rogue's chest close, and part of Wolverine's psyche goeormant as the other...merges with Rogue's. Ms. Marvel howls, screaming heage. Rogue flies over to her cage, and stirs up Magneto's psyche. Shbsorbs him, too, and melds the bars of the cage together, so there arnly small openings near the top. Ms. Marvel yells and pounds on the cage,
tears streaming down her face.
"I'll get you for this, Rogue!"
Rogue opens her eyes. Wolverine's first instinct is to punch out the persoitting by the bed, and Magneto's is much the same. Rogue fights theiendencies and sits up, rubbing her head.
"Chere?" asks Remy quietly. "Ya okay?"
"Fine," says Rogue shortly. "Look, ah gotta...be alone...for a lil' bit.
Could ya..."
"Sure, chere," says Remy. "Ah'll be waitin' fer ya right outside, so yeed anyt'in', jus' call." Rogue nods, and Remy leaves. Rogue rolls over,
tears in her eyes. Why did Wolverine's psyche try to kill her?
He's like my father. And he hurt me. Rogue wiped away a couple of tears. Aidn't mean t'absorb Ms. Marvel. It shoulda worn off by now,
but...somethin's wrong. She's still in mah head, an' ah still have heowers. An' memories...in me. Don' know whats mine anymore. Is the deeffection ah feel for Wolverine...mine...or hers? Or both? One things feure, all th' feelin's fer th'cajun are mine. Don' think she knew 'im. Hoo ah feel 'bout Remy? He's han'some, an' he seems real sweet, but...hoan anyone love me...knowin' they can''t touch me? Ah jus' have t'tell 'im,
and that'll be th'end o'that. He won't even try t'get close. An' it's foh' best. Rogue gets up, locks her door, and slides into something nouite so torn up. She notices six holes in her shirt, on her chest...anipps it off, tossing it in her garbage. She puts on a black tank top and ee-through green long-sleeved shirt. She pulls on a pair of black leatheants and platform leather shoes. She slips a black leather choker on,
careful not to poke herself with the spikes. She pulls on leather bikeloves and a studded bracelet.(1) Rogue looks at the dog tags hanging oer mirror. She had taken them off before sneaking to the mall--theangled, and would have given her away in a fight. She smiles, and sliphe chain over her head.
Remy whistles. "Lookin' good, chere," he says as she leaves her room. Shlushes, then glares at him.
"Better'n' you," she says. He raises an eyebrow. "Uh, Remy, she says,
looking at him. "What...what's your power?"
"Ah can charge up objects, causin' dem to blow up." Remy looks at her, hiyes burning into hers. "Dunno what up wit' my eyes." Rogue nods, unable took away.
"When ah touch someone, ah absorb their personality. If it's a mutant, absorb their powers, too. Ah can't control it. Even if ah don't want to, absorb them." She looks at him, to see if he understands. Remy nods, anffers her his arm.
"Shall we go down t'dinner, chere?" Rogue snorts, but takes his arm. Theescend the stairs. Wolverine's personality begins to wear off, and Rogulushes as people stare at them. They do present a strange sight...trikingly handsome cajun with burning red-on-black eyes, and a beautifuouthern belle with a white streak in her brown hair.
"It 'pears we're de spotlight o'de evenin', huh chere?" says Remy into hear. Rogue giggles and slaps his arm lightly.
"Ow!"
"Oops...sorry, ah just got th'super strength t'day, not used t' it..." shmiles sweetly.
"'S okay, chere," Remy grins back. She turns her head away, smiling.
Ding-dong... The doorbell of the mansion rings. Rogue takes her hand from
Remy to go answer the door.
"Ah got it!" she calls, and opens the door. Her eyes widen as she seeho's standing there...
"L-Logan?" she whispers, her eyes wide as saucers. Sure enough, Logatands there, looking exactly as he did when he left three years ago.
"Hey kid."
