Title: Not Like It Should Be
Author: Natalia Melissa Vronsky
Email: blackqueenphoenix@yahoo.com or sputiehead@aol.com
Web-page: www.geocities.com/blackqueenphoenix
Part: four of ?
Category: Rogue/Gambit (kitty, jubilee, john, bobby, warren, betsy)-Ariana POV
Rating: R for language... and violence/references to violence.
Summary: We get to know Ariana... and she get's to know The X-Men... or what's left of them.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters... Marvel Character Inc. does... 20th Century Fox does. I have NO money. I don't even have a job. I live offa my parents for Pete's sake! So don't sue me.
*Ariana Jenkins* is mine, *Melt* is mine, *Chiara* is mine... there are a few more in the story who are mine. Please don't use them without asking. I promise... if you ask... I'll say yes.
Author's Notes: Yes... Professor X, Scott, Jean, Logan, Storm and Hank are dead. Other X-people do make appearances in this one. Forgive the lame code-names of my made-up characters. I see now why Marvel writers are calling X-Force by names like, U-Go-Girl.
Thanks: to Cassie and Daisy for being the worlds bestest beta's. :)
Dedicated: To all those lost on Sept. 11, 2001... and all those effected in any way shape or form by what happened...
Archive: Feel free to archive anywhere... I don't care so long as it's not at some "worst fan-fiction ever" page... also... just let me know, 'kay? And if you have my previous consent... you don't have to ask me over and over, 'kay?
Feedback: PLEASE! I don't care if'n you flame me... just respond... it's nice to know what others think of my work. PLEASE!

"I've been down in these tunnels for sometime now.

Funny thing about life since Apocalypse took over, it's really had to keep track of time... and days.

I guess its probably been about five... maybe six days.

I haven't gone out.

Rogue and Gambit are really strict about that. Well, Gambit mostly. He flips out in french whenever anyone tries to go outside.

There are a lot of tunnels here... makes me wonder if Apocalypse knows about them. Shouldn't he? He is supposed to know all.

There aren't many mutants down here.

Just the ones I've met, and a couple of others that were brought down by the X-Men.

A large Russian speaking man, Piotr... or something like that.

He doesn't really talk. He spends most of his time drawing in a small sketch pad with a short pencil.

There's the twins, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch... they're supposedly Magneto's children.

And then there's Aqua, who can turn his body to water.

But, that's it, really.

If there are other mutants... they don't wanna say... and I'm not sure I can blame them.

The X-Men are planing something. I just wish I knew what it was.

Rogue has spoken to me a little more than she did at first... and more than she talks to others.

She explained to me about how they'd gotten a hold of the maps they had.

Gambit's brother, a man named Henri, was a slave in Apocalypse's palace... and Henri had escaped. He knew he'd be caught, and most likely killed, so he hid the maps in a safe place. Two days after his escape he was killed.

She and Gambit had spent nearly two years searching for the maps.

That might not even be where Apocalypse lives anymore.

I've noticed that I can only get codenames from everyone, and they also don't talk about their pasts.

They talk about the future, however. And relatives they hope to find once we're free from Apocalypses rule.

Piotr is one of them. He lost track of his younger sister and older brother.

He's also the only one who's give me his real name.

But, then, he wasn't an X-Man or anything. Just an innocent plowboy.

'Ariana, sugah, Ah need ta talk ta you.' Rogue said, approaching where I sat the little kids.

'Okay.' I replied, quickly getting up to follow her.

She led me to a small vacant tunnel where the all of the other mutants were.

Gambit was leaning silently against the wall, waiting for Rogue to speak first, I guess.

'We've checked out the area surroundin' the palace. There's guards everywhere.' She paused for a moment, looking to Gambit. He nodded for her to continue. 'They were mutants... members from the team The Avengers and X-Factor. Whether they're workin' of their own free will or not, we're not sure.'

'What are we going to do?' M asked.

'Myself and three others will be goin', ta get an exact count, ta see who we've got ta fight and ta find out if Apocalypse is in that palace.'

'Who's going?' Ice-Man asked, an anxious look on his face.

'You,' She addressed Ice-Man. 'M, and Ariana.'

The others seemed faintly disappointed, except for Gambit.

'Everyone else will stay here wit' me.' He said. 'Psylocke will keep a link open wit' M... in case of anythin'.'

Psylocke sighed. 'I could go in instead of M.'

'She's strong, y'r'not.' He said. 'She'll be more useful den you.'

Psylocke huffed, then left. Warren trailed behind her.

'Get some rest.' Rogue said softly to myself and the other two. 'Ah'll wake you an hour before we're gonna go.'"
~ Ariana Jenkins ~

ARIANA NEEDS A CODENAME! Any suggestions would help lots... thanks.
Up next: Rogue, Gambit and Warrens' POV (not necessarily in that order) and a death in part six.
AND... explanations on why Gambit's acting like a total jerk... gotta love a pretty boy with a hot accent. :)
BUT... I wont be posting for about a week... because I'm having massive problems with who I'm gonna have die and how.

"I'm useless... but not for long... my future is comin' on." Gorillaz "Clint Eastwood"