* * *
"Everyone here?" Ah asked. "Did Ah leave anyone out?" Fred stirred, but didn't say anythin'. He seemed ta be hurt pretty bad. Ah wondered if they'd done anythin' for him. Probably not. They didn't care. My anger had been goin' at a slow burn ever since Ah'd seen 'em all caged up like animals. They wanted ta do that ta all o' us. Funny thing was, Ah couldn't remember how they got free. Ah figured Remy musta blown up the doors or mebbe Tom had shaken 'em down. Ah idly decided that Tom an' Lance should never be in the same room together. God knows what might happen then.
In the back o' the room, Ah could see Evan, Mr. McCoy an' Logan all standin' around together. Ah guess it was understood that there'd be plenty o' time ta talk later an' sort things out, but it hurt that they weren't comin' up ta me. Once in a while, one of 'em would toss a glance in my direction. Why weren't they comin' up ta me? Ah turned away, caught Tom's eye.
"Where's Jenny?" Ah asked suddenly, my stomach droppin'. "We were supposed ta carry her outta here. She cain't walk on her own!"
Tom's only answer was a pained look Ah couldn't understand. Ah wondered if maybe he was sweet on her or somethin'...his brother's girl. How predictable was that? Ah shifted my weight from one foot ta the other. "When Remy gets back we can all go," Ah told them. They were all lookin' at me now, all except Evan, Mr. McCoy an' Logan. God, even if they didn't want ta talk ta me, why wouldn't they just look at me?
Caught sight o' Jenny standin' at the back o' the room. "Nice ta finally see a friendly face," Ah told her.
"Who're you talking to, Rogue?" Tom asked. We ignored him.
Jenny ran a hand through her hair, makin' it even messier than usual. "What's goin' on, Rogue?"
"We're just waitin' for Remy ta get back an' then we'll be out." Ah gave her an encouraging smile, but it turned into a frown when Ah remembered 'bout her legs. "Guess that stuff Tam gave you musta worn off, huh?"
"It wasn't as bad as I thought. I can barely even feel it now." The whole time she was talkin' she'd been movin' closer ta me. "Tell me though, why are you letting Remy do everything?"
Ah shrugged. "No glory in tryin' ta do everythin' yourself. Cain't be done. Remy'll be back soon. You'll see."
"It just seems like you've been slipping lately." Ah musta let my annoyance show. "Just a little!" she soothed. "I mean, you have to admit you're not the same girl who punched his lights out three days ago."
"Ah know him now," Ah protested weakly, wonderin' how she knew about that. Ah couldn't remember tellin' her, but then my memories had become so fogged lately.
"Are you sure? He did work for Magneto after all. Did he ever give it up?"
"Ah...Ah think so. Why are you askin' me? How do ya know about any o' this? Did Ah tell ya?"
"You might keep slipping." Seemed like she was talkin' ta herself then. "You might make bad mistakes and get killed."
"Ah've come this far, haven't Ah?" Jenny was startin' ta piss me off. Didn't seem like any o' her fuckin' business.
"But there wasn't anyone to think about before." Ah opened my mouth, but she was faster. "Maybe except for Scott." She laughed a little at that an' Ah felt my cheeks get hot. "Good ol' Scott, ordinary like white bread and butter. But it was never like this with him. You could put him aside anytime you wanted because you were sure it was better for the team that way. A little conformist under the skin? The needs of the many outweigh yadda yadda yadda."
"Ya don't know anythin' about it."
"What if Remy were on the other side and they expected you to fight? See what I mean about mistakes? I don't know which choice would be right. I think they're both wrong, actually."
"Ya don't know what you're talkin' 'bout!" She was very close ta me now, close enough that Ah shoulda been able ta feel her breath on my face when she exhaled, but there was nothin'. Her skin was translucent, just like a ghost. "What's the matter, Jenny? Are ya mad at me?"
She thought about that for a moment. "Interesting. You can't remember anything?" She didn't wait for me ta answer. "How do you think you're holding Fred up?" Ah looked at him on my arm as if that arm belonged ta a different person. Ah guess it kinda did. "I'm not mad, but I'm not about to stand by and just watch you get killed, okay?" Right then two things happened: Wipeout an' Trask slipped into the lab through a different door an' Jenny slipped her hands inside mine.
Ah felt tingly all over an' then the room seemed ta shrink into a pinpoint. Ah could still hear an' see an' feel, but only faintly. Everythin' was distorted. Fred fell to th' floor and Ah felt a faint pain in my wrist from all that weight. Ah saw Trask an' started forward, only it wasn't me. Jenny was in control o' everythin'. Ah was beginnin' ta understand what Ah couldn't remember. Jenny was dead. Jenny was in me. Jenny was gonna be my goddamned April witch twelve months outta the year. Ah didn't even like sharin' a room with Kitty. Ah woulda cried then, but Ah didn't have control over my tear ducts.
Jenny jumped on Trask an' put my hands around his throat. Ah remembered her sayin' that she wanted ta kill them, but Ah didn't want more blood on my hands.
Wipeout kicked Jenny in the stomach, hittin' her square in the diaphragm. The breath was forced outta her.
"Bra-fucking-vo," she snarled after a bit. "Takes a big man to kick someone when they're on the ground." Jenny looked around ta the other mutants, but they backed away from her and Wipeout as if both o' them had leprosy. "Cowards!" Jenny cried. Someone Ah couldn't see had her by the hair now. Tears streamed down her face.
"Who's makin' bad mistakes now?" Ah asked smugly, tryin' out my voice.
"Shut up!" Jenny screamed. "You have no idea what they did to me!"
"Ah've got some idea," Ah returned quietly.
"What's wrong with her?" Wipeout asked Trask. It was the first time Ah'd heard him talk an' it startled me. Guess Ah had him figured for a mute or an idiot or mebbe both.
Trask got ta his feet an' dusted himself off. He eyed Jenny. "A possible side effect of the mutation. Often the stress is too much for the mutant's mind to bear. My...Tonya was much the same way before she disappeared." A particularly powerful blast from th' next room punctuated his theory. If Ah'd been able to Ah'd have told him his idea was complete bullshit.
"That's complete bullshit," Jenny said calmly.
"Way ta go!" Ah cheered.
Jenny winced. "I can hear you just fine. You don't haveta shout."
It was then that Logan and Mr. McCoy moved in. Mr. McCoy grabbed Trask. Even without the powers, Ah wouldn't want ta take on Hank. It's only 'cause I know him that Ah'm not scared o' him, but sometimes Ah'm scared o' him anyways. D'ya know what it's like sneakin' in after curfew an' findin' him waitin' there in the half dark? It's enough ta frighten ten years offa person. He has a way o' fillin' a room. Logan made short work o' Wipeout, clippin' him neatly across the temple with his fist. Wipeout fell over heavily.
Jenny wiggled away from the person holdin' her...my...our hair. Some o' it ripped out an' for the first time Ah was glad for my new hairstyle. Focusing, Ah was able ta grab control for a moment, scissorin' my leg back an' catchin' the person square in the stomach.
"Bitch!" Whoever it was was female an' strong, mebbe as strong as Jenny. Struck out again, keepin' my foot planted an' lettin' all my strength flow through my free leg. The woman went down.
Jenny grabbed control again an' flew forward. Wasn't so much that Ah could hear what she was thinkin' as feel it. "Jenny, you cain't!" She stretched out my hands. "Don't touch anyone! Please!"
Evan shot a swarm o' bone spikes at me, but they might as well have been made o' smoke. Ah heard Logan yell, "Stripes!" Ah wanted so bad ta tell him that it was none o' my doin', that Ah'd stop her if Ah could. My mind scrabbled for a way through her control again. Ah'd done it once, but Ah didn't know how ta do it again.
Mr. McCoy's face loomed in front o' me. He was scared. The Beast was scared. God, Ah'd seen him lift the x-van outta the mud once, the whole van in one go, an' he was scared o' me.
"Don't hurt him, Jenny!" Ah felt like Ah was trapped inside a glass jar.
"I won't hurt him if he gets outta my way!"
Ah could hear her sayin' 'I want to kill them, Rogue.' It was stuck on continuous repeat in our memory. "But Ah don't want ya ta kill him. We can stop Trask without killin' him."
"You're kidding yourself. It's the only way to stop him. This isn't your choice."
Jenny touched my fingers ta Trask's throat.
* * *
"Forgive me, chère," I whispered, chargin' a piece o' rubble an' throwin' it at her back. Sure dere was no love lost 'tween me an' Trask. Sure he was de one who put de chip in my neck and de electrodes in all de other mutants, but Tante Mattie hadn't raised me t' be no killer and I knew it would pain Jean-Luc t' see me go de way o' de Guild o' Assassins. He hadn't trained me for dat.
Hadn't realized how much I missed dem, not dat everyt'ing was ever perfect or ever would be, but 't was nice t' get up in de mornin' or t' crawl in in de night in a house where people cared if I lived or died. Where people knew me an' called me by my given name and not de code name.
De explosion didn't slow her down one bit, but de big blue man was keepin' Trask away from her for de time.
"Should I even ask?" De voice was gruff in my ear. Turned t' see a man little shorter and broader dan me at my side. His body was tense, balanced on de balls o' his feet. Somet'ing 'bout him put me on edge.
"Le Loup-Garou (werewolf)," I breathed, wit'out knowing why I did.
Smiled icily. "Not quite, kid, but close. I guess you must know Stripes."
"And you must be one of her friends, non? We been lookin' for you."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Bit of a li'l more dan she could chew." Was quiet a second. "'t my fault. Didn't tell her de whole story, all de risks."
De man looked at me hard. "No time fer regrets now, kid. We've gotta stop her or she's bound t' do something she'll regret. Bright ideas?"
Found Tom standin' wit' de rest o' de mutants across de room. "You been here before, Tom. Can you t'ink o' any way t' slow her down?" Knew Rogue was still in dere, she had t' be. Was one t'ing when I t'ought she was dead, quite another t' see her up and around wit' nothin' but Jenny inside.
Tom t'ought 'bout it for a second, den his eyes lit up. "That machine, there, in the far corner. It generates an electromagnetic pulse to scramble brainwaves. Some kind of prototype brainwash I think."
Provided I could operate it, but I didn't want t' tell Tom. He seemed so pleased wit' himself t' have suggested it. "Den quick, y' get dese people outta here. In de next room, John will cover your escape." Saw his puzzled expression. "De one wit' de fire."
"Try and stay outta sight," de man ordered. "Evan, you go too. Take everyone as far as the treeline and wait for us there."
"But, Logan..." de boy wit' de spikes began.
"This ain't one o' those things you can convince me about," Logan said. "Just go. Wait. If we don't meet up with you in twenty minutes I want you to use the emergency channel to call the others."
Dere just some t'ings in life gotta be obeyed. Threw another chunk o' stone at Rogue. She shrugged it off like de last one. Knew it was only a matter o' time before Magneto came into de lab. Vraisemblablement (most likely) dis was his revenge, because it had t' be bigger an' more dangerous dan anyti'ing.
"Hank!" Logan shouted, pointed t' de machine. Looked at me. "He can't keep this up forever. I'll give you twenty seconds t' figure out how that hunk o' junk works."
20...
Ran t' de far wall. De sense o' déjà vu was almost stifling. Like I was back in de house. Dere were rows o' small switches, some larger levers and a pair o' buttons in green and red.
15...
"Let me go!" Jenny yelled.
"Not likely, sweetheart," Logan replied.
Okay, de upper switches seemed t' regulate voltage...
10...
...while de middle ones controlled de width o' de beam. And de lower ones...intensity.
"I'd encourage you to make haste in your endeavors, my friend." Dat musta been Hank. Wasn't sure who he was talkin' to, but decided it was a good all-around suggestion.
5...
Flipped dem all t' de highest setting. Dere was no time t' be subtle 'bout it. Pressed de green button t' test.
Not'ing. Merde. Foutre (fuck up).
Rogue hit de wall beside me, cracking de cinderblocks. She fell t' de ground. Was all I could do not t' help her.
Sweat ran into my eyes, stinging. I was missing somet'ing.
0...
Rogue stirred. Logan pulled her up by her collar, set her in de machine.
"Now, kid!"
Merdemerdemerdemerde.
De levers. Dey weren't really levers at all, needed t' prime dem t' get a charge. Grabbed hold an' my hand slipped off again. Second time was de charm.
First lever primed.
Outta de corner o' my eye I could see Rogue start t' stir. Logan braced his legs on de floor an pushed his hands into her shoulders t' keep her still.
"Remy?" her voice was weak, but it was definitely her.
Second lever primed.
"What're ya doin', Remy?"
"What're ya waitin' for, kid! Do it before she recovers."
Silence for a beat. What if it was too much? What if I killed her instead o' just stoppin' her? What if she never forgave me for pushin' de button? My finger hovered dere, unable t' go forward.
What if she got loose an' killed Trask an' Dr. Moreau an' everyone else who'd hurt her? Took a long look at de beautiful gray eyes. Sorry if dis de wrong t'ing t' do, beb. All I know t' do t' get us all outta here. Dis de best o' a t'ief an' might not be good 'nough.
I pushed de button.
"Everyone here?" Ah asked. "Did Ah leave anyone out?" Fred stirred, but didn't say anythin'. He seemed ta be hurt pretty bad. Ah wondered if they'd done anythin' for him. Probably not. They didn't care. My anger had been goin' at a slow burn ever since Ah'd seen 'em all caged up like animals. They wanted ta do that ta all o' us. Funny thing was, Ah couldn't remember how they got free. Ah figured Remy musta blown up the doors or mebbe Tom had shaken 'em down. Ah idly decided that Tom an' Lance should never be in the same room together. God knows what might happen then.
In the back o' the room, Ah could see Evan, Mr. McCoy an' Logan all standin' around together. Ah guess it was understood that there'd be plenty o' time ta talk later an' sort things out, but it hurt that they weren't comin' up ta me. Once in a while, one of 'em would toss a glance in my direction. Why weren't they comin' up ta me? Ah turned away, caught Tom's eye.
"Where's Jenny?" Ah asked suddenly, my stomach droppin'. "We were supposed ta carry her outta here. She cain't walk on her own!"
Tom's only answer was a pained look Ah couldn't understand. Ah wondered if maybe he was sweet on her or somethin'...his brother's girl. How predictable was that? Ah shifted my weight from one foot ta the other. "When Remy gets back we can all go," Ah told them. They were all lookin' at me now, all except Evan, Mr. McCoy an' Logan. God, even if they didn't want ta talk ta me, why wouldn't they just look at me?
Caught sight o' Jenny standin' at the back o' the room. "Nice ta finally see a friendly face," Ah told her.
"Who're you talking to, Rogue?" Tom asked. We ignored him.
Jenny ran a hand through her hair, makin' it even messier than usual. "What's goin' on, Rogue?"
"We're just waitin' for Remy ta get back an' then we'll be out." Ah gave her an encouraging smile, but it turned into a frown when Ah remembered 'bout her legs. "Guess that stuff Tam gave you musta worn off, huh?"
"It wasn't as bad as I thought. I can barely even feel it now." The whole time she was talkin' she'd been movin' closer ta me. "Tell me though, why are you letting Remy do everything?"
Ah shrugged. "No glory in tryin' ta do everythin' yourself. Cain't be done. Remy'll be back soon. You'll see."
"It just seems like you've been slipping lately." Ah musta let my annoyance show. "Just a little!" she soothed. "I mean, you have to admit you're not the same girl who punched his lights out three days ago."
"Ah know him now," Ah protested weakly, wonderin' how she knew about that. Ah couldn't remember tellin' her, but then my memories had become so fogged lately.
"Are you sure? He did work for Magneto after all. Did he ever give it up?"
"Ah...Ah think so. Why are you askin' me? How do ya know about any o' this? Did Ah tell ya?"
"You might keep slipping." Seemed like she was talkin' ta herself then. "You might make bad mistakes and get killed."
"Ah've come this far, haven't Ah?" Jenny was startin' ta piss me off. Didn't seem like any o' her fuckin' business.
"But there wasn't anyone to think about before." Ah opened my mouth, but she was faster. "Maybe except for Scott." She laughed a little at that an' Ah felt my cheeks get hot. "Good ol' Scott, ordinary like white bread and butter. But it was never like this with him. You could put him aside anytime you wanted because you were sure it was better for the team that way. A little conformist under the skin? The needs of the many outweigh yadda yadda yadda."
"Ya don't know anythin' about it."
"What if Remy were on the other side and they expected you to fight? See what I mean about mistakes? I don't know which choice would be right. I think they're both wrong, actually."
"Ya don't know what you're talkin' 'bout!" She was very close ta me now, close enough that Ah shoulda been able ta feel her breath on my face when she exhaled, but there was nothin'. Her skin was translucent, just like a ghost. "What's the matter, Jenny? Are ya mad at me?"
She thought about that for a moment. "Interesting. You can't remember anything?" She didn't wait for me ta answer. "How do you think you're holding Fred up?" Ah looked at him on my arm as if that arm belonged ta a different person. Ah guess it kinda did. "I'm not mad, but I'm not about to stand by and just watch you get killed, okay?" Right then two things happened: Wipeout an' Trask slipped into the lab through a different door an' Jenny slipped her hands inside mine.
Ah felt tingly all over an' then the room seemed ta shrink into a pinpoint. Ah could still hear an' see an' feel, but only faintly. Everythin' was distorted. Fred fell to th' floor and Ah felt a faint pain in my wrist from all that weight. Ah saw Trask an' started forward, only it wasn't me. Jenny was in control o' everythin'. Ah was beginnin' ta understand what Ah couldn't remember. Jenny was dead. Jenny was in me. Jenny was gonna be my goddamned April witch twelve months outta the year. Ah didn't even like sharin' a room with Kitty. Ah woulda cried then, but Ah didn't have control over my tear ducts.
Jenny jumped on Trask an' put my hands around his throat. Ah remembered her sayin' that she wanted ta kill them, but Ah didn't want more blood on my hands.
Wipeout kicked Jenny in the stomach, hittin' her square in the diaphragm. The breath was forced outta her.
"Bra-fucking-vo," she snarled after a bit. "Takes a big man to kick someone when they're on the ground." Jenny looked around ta the other mutants, but they backed away from her and Wipeout as if both o' them had leprosy. "Cowards!" Jenny cried. Someone Ah couldn't see had her by the hair now. Tears streamed down her face.
"Who's makin' bad mistakes now?" Ah asked smugly, tryin' out my voice.
"Shut up!" Jenny screamed. "You have no idea what they did to me!"
"Ah've got some idea," Ah returned quietly.
"What's wrong with her?" Wipeout asked Trask. It was the first time Ah'd heard him talk an' it startled me. Guess Ah had him figured for a mute or an idiot or mebbe both.
Trask got ta his feet an' dusted himself off. He eyed Jenny. "A possible side effect of the mutation. Often the stress is too much for the mutant's mind to bear. My...Tonya was much the same way before she disappeared." A particularly powerful blast from th' next room punctuated his theory. If Ah'd been able to Ah'd have told him his idea was complete bullshit.
"That's complete bullshit," Jenny said calmly.
"Way ta go!" Ah cheered.
Jenny winced. "I can hear you just fine. You don't haveta shout."
It was then that Logan and Mr. McCoy moved in. Mr. McCoy grabbed Trask. Even without the powers, Ah wouldn't want ta take on Hank. It's only 'cause I know him that Ah'm not scared o' him, but sometimes Ah'm scared o' him anyways. D'ya know what it's like sneakin' in after curfew an' findin' him waitin' there in the half dark? It's enough ta frighten ten years offa person. He has a way o' fillin' a room. Logan made short work o' Wipeout, clippin' him neatly across the temple with his fist. Wipeout fell over heavily.
Jenny wiggled away from the person holdin' her...my...our hair. Some o' it ripped out an' for the first time Ah was glad for my new hairstyle. Focusing, Ah was able ta grab control for a moment, scissorin' my leg back an' catchin' the person square in the stomach.
"Bitch!" Whoever it was was female an' strong, mebbe as strong as Jenny. Struck out again, keepin' my foot planted an' lettin' all my strength flow through my free leg. The woman went down.
Jenny grabbed control again an' flew forward. Wasn't so much that Ah could hear what she was thinkin' as feel it. "Jenny, you cain't!" She stretched out my hands. "Don't touch anyone! Please!"
Evan shot a swarm o' bone spikes at me, but they might as well have been made o' smoke. Ah heard Logan yell, "Stripes!" Ah wanted so bad ta tell him that it was none o' my doin', that Ah'd stop her if Ah could. My mind scrabbled for a way through her control again. Ah'd done it once, but Ah didn't know how ta do it again.
Mr. McCoy's face loomed in front o' me. He was scared. The Beast was scared. God, Ah'd seen him lift the x-van outta the mud once, the whole van in one go, an' he was scared o' me.
"Don't hurt him, Jenny!" Ah felt like Ah was trapped inside a glass jar.
"I won't hurt him if he gets outta my way!"
Ah could hear her sayin' 'I want to kill them, Rogue.' It was stuck on continuous repeat in our memory. "But Ah don't want ya ta kill him. We can stop Trask without killin' him."
"You're kidding yourself. It's the only way to stop him. This isn't your choice."
Jenny touched my fingers ta Trask's throat.
* * *
"Forgive me, chère," I whispered, chargin' a piece o' rubble an' throwin' it at her back. Sure dere was no love lost 'tween me an' Trask. Sure he was de one who put de chip in my neck and de electrodes in all de other mutants, but Tante Mattie hadn't raised me t' be no killer and I knew it would pain Jean-Luc t' see me go de way o' de Guild o' Assassins. He hadn't trained me for dat.
Hadn't realized how much I missed dem, not dat everyt'ing was ever perfect or ever would be, but 't was nice t' get up in de mornin' or t' crawl in in de night in a house where people cared if I lived or died. Where people knew me an' called me by my given name and not de code name.
De explosion didn't slow her down one bit, but de big blue man was keepin' Trask away from her for de time.
"Should I even ask?" De voice was gruff in my ear. Turned t' see a man little shorter and broader dan me at my side. His body was tense, balanced on de balls o' his feet. Somet'ing 'bout him put me on edge.
"Le Loup-Garou (werewolf)," I breathed, wit'out knowing why I did.
Smiled icily. "Not quite, kid, but close. I guess you must know Stripes."
"And you must be one of her friends, non? We been lookin' for you."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Bit of a li'l more dan she could chew." Was quiet a second. "'t my fault. Didn't tell her de whole story, all de risks."
De man looked at me hard. "No time fer regrets now, kid. We've gotta stop her or she's bound t' do something she'll regret. Bright ideas?"
Found Tom standin' wit' de rest o' de mutants across de room. "You been here before, Tom. Can you t'ink o' any way t' slow her down?" Knew Rogue was still in dere, she had t' be. Was one t'ing when I t'ought she was dead, quite another t' see her up and around wit' nothin' but Jenny inside.
Tom t'ought 'bout it for a second, den his eyes lit up. "That machine, there, in the far corner. It generates an electromagnetic pulse to scramble brainwaves. Some kind of prototype brainwash I think."
Provided I could operate it, but I didn't want t' tell Tom. He seemed so pleased wit' himself t' have suggested it. "Den quick, y' get dese people outta here. In de next room, John will cover your escape." Saw his puzzled expression. "De one wit' de fire."
"Try and stay outta sight," de man ordered. "Evan, you go too. Take everyone as far as the treeline and wait for us there."
"But, Logan..." de boy wit' de spikes began.
"This ain't one o' those things you can convince me about," Logan said. "Just go. Wait. If we don't meet up with you in twenty minutes I want you to use the emergency channel to call the others."
Dere just some t'ings in life gotta be obeyed. Threw another chunk o' stone at Rogue. She shrugged it off like de last one. Knew it was only a matter o' time before Magneto came into de lab. Vraisemblablement (most likely) dis was his revenge, because it had t' be bigger an' more dangerous dan anyti'ing.
"Hank!" Logan shouted, pointed t' de machine. Looked at me. "He can't keep this up forever. I'll give you twenty seconds t' figure out how that hunk o' junk works."
20...
Ran t' de far wall. De sense o' déjà vu was almost stifling. Like I was back in de house. Dere were rows o' small switches, some larger levers and a pair o' buttons in green and red.
15...
"Let me go!" Jenny yelled.
"Not likely, sweetheart," Logan replied.
Okay, de upper switches seemed t' regulate voltage...
10...
...while de middle ones controlled de width o' de beam. And de lower ones...intensity.
"I'd encourage you to make haste in your endeavors, my friend." Dat musta been Hank. Wasn't sure who he was talkin' to, but decided it was a good all-around suggestion.
5...
Flipped dem all t' de highest setting. Dere was no time t' be subtle 'bout it. Pressed de green button t' test.
Not'ing. Merde. Foutre (fuck up).
Rogue hit de wall beside me, cracking de cinderblocks. She fell t' de ground. Was all I could do not t' help her.
Sweat ran into my eyes, stinging. I was missing somet'ing.
0...
Rogue stirred. Logan pulled her up by her collar, set her in de machine.
"Now, kid!"
Merdemerdemerdemerde.
De levers. Dey weren't really levers at all, needed t' prime dem t' get a charge. Grabbed hold an' my hand slipped off again. Second time was de charm.
First lever primed.
Outta de corner o' my eye I could see Rogue start t' stir. Logan braced his legs on de floor an pushed his hands into her shoulders t' keep her still.
"Remy?" her voice was weak, but it was definitely her.
Second lever primed.
"What're ya doin', Remy?"
"What're ya waitin' for, kid! Do it before she recovers."
Silence for a beat. What if it was too much? What if I killed her instead o' just stoppin' her? What if she never forgave me for pushin' de button? My finger hovered dere, unable t' go forward.
What if she got loose an' killed Trask an' Dr. Moreau an' everyone else who'd hurt her? Took a long look at de beautiful gray eyes. Sorry if dis de wrong t'ing t' do, beb. All I know t' do t' get us all outta here. Dis de best o' a t'ief an' might not be good 'nough.
I pushed de button.