Rogue shot towards the abandoned duplex of buildings with murder on her
mind.
~If they so much as touched my Logan..~ She thought, gritting her teeth and clenching her outstretched fists.
The snow was falling heavier now, and it was making it harder for her to see where she was going.
"Where are ya when ah need ya, 'Ro?" Rogue muttered sadly to herself as she thought of her friend that had gifts of controlling the elements of nature.
She stopped, hovering in the air as she struggled to make out some sign of the old barn through the white flurries that floated down from the sky, covering her shoulders and hair with white powder.
"There it is," She said as she spotted the old building.
She drifted closer to the duplex, watching carefully for guards as she hovered near, making her battle-and- rescue plans.
/ Rogue?! /
Rogue startled as a voice called her name loudly, looking around in all directions before realizing that the voice spoke inside her head, originating from another mind.
Jean's mind.
~Jean?~
She felt the telepathic redhead's confusion.
/ What are you doing here? /
~You guys got yaselves in trouble, ah'm here to get you out, shugah,~
/ What about- /
~Mah baby? Already had 'im, shugah, he's back with Forest at the mansion~
She bit her lip.
~How is Logan shugah? Is he okay?~
/ He's fine. Bickering with Jubilee and making fun of Scott, as usual. /
Rogue let out a sigh of relief.
~Sounds like 'im, shugah,~ She thought with a grin.
~Everyone else okay?~
Rogue felt Jean's nod.
/ We're all okay, Rogue, maybe some bruises but we're all right, thank heavens. /
Rogue brushed a floating strand of hair out of her eyes.
~That's good, shugah, cuz ah'm coming to bust yah out.~
Jean was about to reply when another floating figure caught the corner of Rogue's emerald green eye.
~Sorry shugah, ah gotta go. Tell Logan that ah'm okay and that the baby is a boy. ~
/ I will. Be careful.... / Her friend sighed before closing down the link between them.
Rogue turned to face her opponent, her eyes widening as she recognized the blonde-haired woman wearing a black uniform with a golden lightening stripe down the front.
"Carol?" She asked weakly.
++++++
"Hello, Rogue," Carol said icily as she looked haughtily at the girl who had taken so much from her.
She still felt the deathly cold fingers grab her face in her nightmares, still felt her life flash before her eyes as the young girl with a white streak in her hair sucked out her life and powers through her skin.
It had taken her two long years to wake up out of the coma, and another two for therapy and rehabilitation, struggling to connect her memories and build herself back together from scratch.
She wanted revenge.
Rogue's heart fluttered in fear as she looked at the super empowered woman who hovered not ten meters away from her, the wind playing with her golden blonde hair, making it billow and flow about her, her eyes narrowed and calculating.
Lowering her own eyes, Rogue pushed a cheek-length strand of white hair behind her ear, memories of Carol's memories playing in her head.
She no longer had Carol's mind in her head, losing it a while ago in an event she preferred not to think about, but which was known as the Siege Perilous.
Shuddering slightly, she looked back at the woman formerly called Ms. Marvel, her chest constricting.
"I see you're surprised to see me," Carol said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
"Ah-ah.....Carol.....ah didn't mean t'...."
"No one ever means to," Carol interrupted. "But you still did it."
Rogue swallowed noisily.
"It wasn't all good for me eitha, Carol. Do you think ah * liked * having someone else's mind in mah head?"
She paused for breath.
" Ah was pushed into it ! Ah didn't want to cause you trouble Carol! It was for ma team!"
Carol smirked, raising a hand into the air in front of her.
"And this is for * my * team, too."
A blast of pure energy engulfed Rogue before she had time to think, hurling her backwards through the air until her momentum slowed, and she hurtled towards the ground.
Her body hit the pavement hard.
"Weren't expecting that, where you now, Rogue?" Asked Carol triumphantly as she gazed on her downed opponent with satisfaction.
"My name is Warbird, warrior of the skies! Feel the power of my wrath!"
She shot down to Rogue's prone figure and began to batter her opponent, rage taking over her mind and body and giving her the revenge she so yearned for.
Finally Carol turned, the fire in her veins dieing as she took to the skies once more.
"We're even now, you life-sucking bitch," She murmured.
"Not quaite yet, Carol," A voice drawled.
Before the woman with billowing blonde hair could turn, Rogue shot through the air and hit her adversary in the back at the speed of sound.
Carol yelled as she flew through the air, finally sliding to a stop.
"Ah believe ah owe you for that explosion thing." Rogue said as she flew after Carol, fists clenched and teeth gritted.
Seeming to have regained her composure, Carol swung a punch at her oncoming opponent, hitting her in the face while letting out a war cry.
"Ugh ! " Rogue shouted, forced backwards by the powerful knock.
Carol took the opportunity to draw energy from around her, and as Rogue advanced again she let out another blast of power.
Rogue screamed as the air in front of her exploded into fiery light, barely missing her and singeing her red and green uniform.
" You can't win, you power thief! As Ms. Marvel, I was vulnerable to high- energy weapons....with my powers versus yours, you have no chance!"
Carol let out a charge of photonic energy to emphasize her words, which Rogue saw in time to duck, making it miss her head and explode above her, interrupting her planning.
~What am I gonna do?!~ Rogue thought helplessly as she swerved to avoid yet another blast and managed to knock a punch at her nearly invincible opponent.
~She's got powers equal to me.and she'll do me in with those blasts. The only thing left.~
She bit her lip and avoided a booted heel aimed for her face.
~But I don't want to get Carol's psyche again!~ She thought, remembering how hard it had been to cope with the last absorption.
Her mind was quickly made up when Carol's figure began to glow as she charged for a powerful blast.
~It's the only way,~ She thought as she began to pull off a glove.
~I can just hang on for a moment and knock her out, get her powers temporarily.~
She shot forward, one raised hand exposing the dangerous skin that would allow her victory.
"No !" Carol's eyes widened as Rogue's hand grabbed her face.
"Not again! No! No! NOOO!" She cried, unable to resist as the pull zapped away her powers and she felt her consciousness slip away into the familiar darkness of a Rogue-induced coma.
+ + + + +
Rogue pulled back her hand, breaking the contact as her opponent's figure went limp.
Memories flooded her brain, old and new, scenes often thought of flashing before her mind's eye and thoughts invading her thoughts.
She watched the blonde-haired woman begin to fall as her powers failed her, sending her hurtling closer and closer to the ground, her limbs flapping lifelessly.
~What are you waiting for? Save me! Stop me!~
Rogue battled against Carol's psyche, clutching her head and trying to subdue the mind within hers.
She didn't notice her hands begin to glow, too busy thinking her opponent down.
Some sudden reflex made her hold her hands away from her body, and she shrieked as a well-charged blast exploded in the air in front of her.
The sudden shock cleared her mind and left her with a new sense of purpose.
~I gotta get them outta there,~ She thought, a plan forming in her head. ~And these powers are gonna help me.~
+ + + + +
~If they so much as touched my Logan..~ She thought, gritting her teeth and clenching her outstretched fists.
The snow was falling heavier now, and it was making it harder for her to see where she was going.
"Where are ya when ah need ya, 'Ro?" Rogue muttered sadly to herself as she thought of her friend that had gifts of controlling the elements of nature.
She stopped, hovering in the air as she struggled to make out some sign of the old barn through the white flurries that floated down from the sky, covering her shoulders and hair with white powder.
"There it is," She said as she spotted the old building.
She drifted closer to the duplex, watching carefully for guards as she hovered near, making her battle-and- rescue plans.
/ Rogue?! /
Rogue startled as a voice called her name loudly, looking around in all directions before realizing that the voice spoke inside her head, originating from another mind.
Jean's mind.
~Jean?~
She felt the telepathic redhead's confusion.
/ What are you doing here? /
~You guys got yaselves in trouble, ah'm here to get you out, shugah,~
/ What about- /
~Mah baby? Already had 'im, shugah, he's back with Forest at the mansion~
She bit her lip.
~How is Logan shugah? Is he okay?~
/ He's fine. Bickering with Jubilee and making fun of Scott, as usual. /
Rogue let out a sigh of relief.
~Sounds like 'im, shugah,~ She thought with a grin.
~Everyone else okay?~
Rogue felt Jean's nod.
/ We're all okay, Rogue, maybe some bruises but we're all right, thank heavens. /
Rogue brushed a floating strand of hair out of her eyes.
~That's good, shugah, cuz ah'm coming to bust yah out.~
Jean was about to reply when another floating figure caught the corner of Rogue's emerald green eye.
~Sorry shugah, ah gotta go. Tell Logan that ah'm okay and that the baby is a boy. ~
/ I will. Be careful.... / Her friend sighed before closing down the link between them.
Rogue turned to face her opponent, her eyes widening as she recognized the blonde-haired woman wearing a black uniform with a golden lightening stripe down the front.
"Carol?" She asked weakly.
++++++
"Hello, Rogue," Carol said icily as she looked haughtily at the girl who had taken so much from her.
She still felt the deathly cold fingers grab her face in her nightmares, still felt her life flash before her eyes as the young girl with a white streak in her hair sucked out her life and powers through her skin.
It had taken her two long years to wake up out of the coma, and another two for therapy and rehabilitation, struggling to connect her memories and build herself back together from scratch.
She wanted revenge.
Rogue's heart fluttered in fear as she looked at the super empowered woman who hovered not ten meters away from her, the wind playing with her golden blonde hair, making it billow and flow about her, her eyes narrowed and calculating.
Lowering her own eyes, Rogue pushed a cheek-length strand of white hair behind her ear, memories of Carol's memories playing in her head.
She no longer had Carol's mind in her head, losing it a while ago in an event she preferred not to think about, but which was known as the Siege Perilous.
Shuddering slightly, she looked back at the woman formerly called Ms. Marvel, her chest constricting.
"I see you're surprised to see me," Carol said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
"Ah-ah.....Carol.....ah didn't mean t'...."
"No one ever means to," Carol interrupted. "But you still did it."
Rogue swallowed noisily.
"It wasn't all good for me eitha, Carol. Do you think ah * liked * having someone else's mind in mah head?"
She paused for breath.
" Ah was pushed into it ! Ah didn't want to cause you trouble Carol! It was for ma team!"
Carol smirked, raising a hand into the air in front of her.
"And this is for * my * team, too."
A blast of pure energy engulfed Rogue before she had time to think, hurling her backwards through the air until her momentum slowed, and she hurtled towards the ground.
Her body hit the pavement hard.
"Weren't expecting that, where you now, Rogue?" Asked Carol triumphantly as she gazed on her downed opponent with satisfaction.
"My name is Warbird, warrior of the skies! Feel the power of my wrath!"
She shot down to Rogue's prone figure and began to batter her opponent, rage taking over her mind and body and giving her the revenge she so yearned for.
Finally Carol turned, the fire in her veins dieing as she took to the skies once more.
"We're even now, you life-sucking bitch," She murmured.
"Not quaite yet, Carol," A voice drawled.
Before the woman with billowing blonde hair could turn, Rogue shot through the air and hit her adversary in the back at the speed of sound.
Carol yelled as she flew through the air, finally sliding to a stop.
"Ah believe ah owe you for that explosion thing." Rogue said as she flew after Carol, fists clenched and teeth gritted.
Seeming to have regained her composure, Carol swung a punch at her oncoming opponent, hitting her in the face while letting out a war cry.
"Ugh ! " Rogue shouted, forced backwards by the powerful knock.
Carol took the opportunity to draw energy from around her, and as Rogue advanced again she let out another blast of power.
Rogue screamed as the air in front of her exploded into fiery light, barely missing her and singeing her red and green uniform.
" You can't win, you power thief! As Ms. Marvel, I was vulnerable to high- energy weapons....with my powers versus yours, you have no chance!"
Carol let out a charge of photonic energy to emphasize her words, which Rogue saw in time to duck, making it miss her head and explode above her, interrupting her planning.
~What am I gonna do?!~ Rogue thought helplessly as she swerved to avoid yet another blast and managed to knock a punch at her nearly invincible opponent.
~She's got powers equal to me.and she'll do me in with those blasts. The only thing left.~
She bit her lip and avoided a booted heel aimed for her face.
~But I don't want to get Carol's psyche again!~ She thought, remembering how hard it had been to cope with the last absorption.
Her mind was quickly made up when Carol's figure began to glow as she charged for a powerful blast.
~It's the only way,~ She thought as she began to pull off a glove.
~I can just hang on for a moment and knock her out, get her powers temporarily.~
She shot forward, one raised hand exposing the dangerous skin that would allow her victory.
"No !" Carol's eyes widened as Rogue's hand grabbed her face.
"Not again! No! No! NOOO!" She cried, unable to resist as the pull zapped away her powers and she felt her consciousness slip away into the familiar darkness of a Rogue-induced coma.
+ + + + +
Rogue pulled back her hand, breaking the contact as her opponent's figure went limp.
Memories flooded her brain, old and new, scenes often thought of flashing before her mind's eye and thoughts invading her thoughts.
She watched the blonde-haired woman begin to fall as her powers failed her, sending her hurtling closer and closer to the ground, her limbs flapping lifelessly.
~What are you waiting for? Save me! Stop me!~
Rogue battled against Carol's psyche, clutching her head and trying to subdue the mind within hers.
She didn't notice her hands begin to glow, too busy thinking her opponent down.
Some sudden reflex made her hold her hands away from her body, and she shrieked as a well-charged blast exploded in the air in front of her.
The sudden shock cleared her mind and left her with a new sense of purpose.
~I gotta get them outta there,~ She thought, a plan forming in her head. ~And these powers are gonna help me.~
+ + + + +