CHAPTER 17: STRIPPED

Madelyne was floored by the sheer power Rogue's children possessed. Opening her mind up and linking with them was like plugging into a whole other realm of telepathy. It reminded her briefly of the power she had wielded during Inferno, power that was almost on par with the Phoenix herself. For a moment she felt regretful, almost empty in comparison to these children. She had forgotten what it was like to see this way, to feel the world through its thoughts and feelings. Her own telepathy was weak in contrast to them, but it was enough to accomplish what she had entered their minds to do.

They resisted her intrusion at first, psi-shields coming up more out of reflex than any conscious action, but their struggle was brief, and Madelyne thanked whatever God might be listening that their backlash of power was peaceful in comparison to what the Phoenix had been putting out earlier. In their overwhelmed state, they had no control over their power and it was an easy task for Madelyne to struggle through. Once linked with them, their tension eased and they opened themselves up fully to her, as if sensing her intent. Drawing upon her own mastery of her telepathy, Madelyne shared her knowledge with the children, showing them how to control the power, how to dampen its effect. They followed her mental guidance as best they could, but she could quickly tell that her instruction would not be enough. There was too much raw power here to be dealt with.

Delving deeper into their minds, Madelyne found the pathways that gave access to their telepathy and began using their own power to erect barriers, hoping to gradually lighten the flow.

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"Madelyne," Magnus called again, his patience wearing thin. He wanted to grab the woman by her shoulders and shake her from her trance, but he didn't dare interrupt whatever process she might be involved in right now, for fear of damaging Irinee' and Jean-Luc permanently. He weighed the importance of the children's lives against their mother's as he waited for an answer from Madelyne, not able to decree one as more important than the other.

Groggily, Madelyne finally stirred, emerald eyes opening to half-slits. "What?" she asked curtly.

Magnus hesitated only an instant before asking, "How are they?"

"I've managed to lock down their power a bit, at least so that it won't burn out their minds right away."

Magnus nodded. "Your efforts are greatly appreciated." He paused again, then continued. "I have another task to ask of you. With Rogue half-insane from grief and wielding the Phoenix power, we need to find out what is going on with her. Illyana said that she went after Sinister, but we cannot allow that kind of power to run unchecked. Can you psi-link with her?"

Madelyne snorted. "You don't want much, do you?"

"Only everything you can give," Magnus replied. "The same I ask of all my X-Men, and of myself."

Madelyne stared at him in silence, contemplating the meaning of his words. He was relying on her, depending on her as he would any other member of the team, treating her as if she were a trusted ally rather than a probationary member. She had come here with one purpose: revenge against Sinister, and she had simply seen the X-Men as a means to that end. But what would happen once her goal had been achieved? What would she have to focus on, to give meaning to her life? Certainly she hadn't ever considered the X-Men a permanent alternative, but right now, in this moment, she felt as if fate had stepped in and taken over. She was being asked to prove herself, to go above and beyond the call and risk her life, perhaps her very sanity, for the sake of the X-Men. Her past sins were forgotten, if not forgiven, and if she complied, she knew she would find a home among them. If she refused, however, giving in to the selfish agenda that had served her so well, her tenure here would come to an end, and she would be on her own again. Somehow, the prospect of returning to a solo career on this war-torn planet did not seem as enticing as it once had. And besides, she thought with a smirk, she was as curious as Magnus to find out what was happening with Rogue and Sinister.

All of these thoughts passed through her mind in mere seconds and she nodded. "I'll need Jean-Luc and Irinee's help to boost my range, I think."

"So long as it does not cause them harm."

"I'll do my best," Madelyne replied, closing her eyes and returning into her link with the children.

Magnus watched, and hoped that her best would be enough.

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Her hands trembled with an unimaginable rage, her very blood singing with need for vengeance. Her rage was like a living thing, coursing through her veins without release, growing in intensity as it completed each circuit through her body. She could hardly see for the red haze that clouded her vision, could hardly think for the pain exploding in her mind. All thoughts of life incarnate had vanished now, and she felt like death itself; a black reaper come to claim Sinister forever. It was the very thing that gave her life meaning, her only mission, her only purpose in this world.

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Her hands trembled with an unimaginable rage, her very blood singing with need for vengeance. Her rage was like a living thing, coursing through her veins without release, growing in intensity as it completed each circuit through her body.

Madelyne reeled as she was overwhelmed by Rogue's emotions, gasping aloud as she tried to reassert a hold on herself. Desperately, she tried to hold onto her own mind, her own identity, even as the primal emotions and raw power pulled her deeper within.

It took her without gentleness or apology. It took her soul and laid it bare, naked before its burning gaze. It filled her mind with cold, sifting fingers, inside her, all around her, working its will upon her. She stood up tall before it, defying it, and there was a screaming gale all around as it laughed, shattering her illusion of strength in one brief instant, like leaves torn and scattered by the wailing wind. And there was ravenous hunger; an aching thirst for knowledge, for revenge, for the soul within her. And it was within and without- surrounding her, filling her, making love to her, tormenting her, laughing at her in malevolent glee, laughing with her in rapturous joy. It was the cause of her tears, it was the salt in her tears, it ached with empathy for her sadness and it mocked her for the same. It was the pain in her heart, it was the beating of her heart, and it was- oh, it was everywhere! It was everything!

And back in the Arizona complex, tears streamed down Madelyne's face as she found the one thing she had searched for all her life. Understanding.

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"Madelyne!"  Magnus thundered as he slapped her again, and he almost cringed at the resounding thud of his hand against her cheek. Striking a woman was one of the lowest things a man could do outside of battle, in his opinion, but given the circumstances he felt he had no choice. She was so far gone he feared she might never come back, and that fear was rapidly becoming an actuality.

Blood streamed from the corner of her mouth, and Magnus was gathering himself to strike her again when her eyelids finally fluttered open.

"Madelyne! What the hell is going on?"

"She…I…we…it's too much…too much…" she gasped, obviously far beyond coherent.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her without hesitation this time. "Madelyne, stay with me! Focus on my voice."

Her head lolled to the side, then slowly came up straight again in a weak nod.

He contemplated continuing to talk to her, briefly, then decided it would be easier to do this himself.

"Bring me in."

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Rogue didn't pause as a new voice spoke up in her mind. She had no time for this, for him, for anything.

"ROGUE!" the voice called again, insistently, distracting her again.

"Go away, Magnus," she answered in annoyance, mentally swatting him aside like a fly.

"I will not." His voice was weaker, but his will held before her mental push. "Do you care to tell me what it is you think you're doing?"

"I do NOT." She pushed him aside again, still speaking in the Phoenix's voice.

"Is this what Remy would have wanted? For you to sacrifice yourself as needlessly as he did?" he asked, hoping that the mention of Remy would at least hold her attention, if not draw out the part of her that was still Rogue.

It was a bad move. He felt her anger and rage suddenly directed upon him, and wondered if gaining her full attention had been such a good idea after all. "He died so that me an' the kids could live in peace. He'd want me to finish it for him, if he knew Sinister was still alive." Rogue's voice now.

Magnus understood her feelings all too well, and truth be told, his heart ached for her loss. He knew intimately the despair of losing a loved one. And then there were his own feelings for this woman to consider. But he didn't want to look at those too closely right now, for fear she might see. "It won't bring him back, Rogue. God knows I spent years seeking revenge for the loss of my daughter and the desertion of my wife. It didn't work. There is nothing that will ever fill the empty hole you have inside you now."

"Ah'll make Sinister bring him back then." Her voice shook with tears, but he could hear the determination behind them.

"And would Remy want to be forever indebted to Sinister for that act?"

He could feel her hesitation.

"He would rather be dead than be owned, Rogue. We both know that."

"But if Ah killed Sinister…"

"Then he would still owe his life to his most wretched, hated enemy."

Silence.

"Rogue, don't do this," Magnus pleaded. "We've already lost Remy; we could not bear the loss of another team member. And your children could not bear the loss of both parents in such rapid succession."

Silence.

"Rogue?"

Quiet sobbing drifted into his mind. "He was mah LIFE, Magnus."

"I know," he answered quietly. "As Magda and Anya were mine. But you are your children's life."

Silence again, but he could sense her contemplation.

"They have no lives, while Sinister lives," she answered with finality, and he sensed more than heard the sudden break of telepathy between their minds.

Magnus snapped back into the awareness of his body with a sense of failure. She was gone.

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Madelyne came to her senses a moment later as Rogue shut her out as well. One trembling hand reached up to touch her cheek, and she gazed at it in wonder as it pulled away wet. She had no words as she met Magnus' eyes, too awed and exhausted by what she had discovered during her brief contact with Rogue and the children.

Magnus, too, was silent for a long moment, but it was he who finally broke the silence.

"She's on her own now."

"Can she win?" Madelyne asked, her voice weak with exhaustion.

Magnus dropped his eyes and did not break the silence this time.

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Sinister had had every intention of being gone before the Phoenix got there. He wasn't so sure she couldn't kill him, and he would be a fool to find out if she could the hard way. So his intention had been to move on as quickly as possible…for a few seconds, before he realized that she would find him wherever he went. He would only be delaying the inevitable by leaving now.

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She burst through the outer wall of the lab with the velocity of a rocket, the Phoenix fire trailing behind her body like an inferno. There were no words exchanged as she and Sinister simultaneously released energy blasts at one another.

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Sinister already knew he was outmatched as she unleashed her power upon him, her telekinetic energy enveloping him and sending him shuddering into the back wall of his lab.

He was awed by the power of her, the sheer anger that motivated her. It was Rogue's face that he saw, and yet, the primal energy of the Phoenix shone far above that; with an elegance, a vengeance that made him proud, though he had not been the one to bring her back.

"You think that you can overcome me?" he asked, with something like disbelief.

"Not think…Ah know," she answered, the primordial fire flowing from her with an almost welcome anger.

"Ah….and you, of all my opponents, are one of the few that might yet win out."

And Sinister found he was tired…tired of all the struggles for this world, tired of all the battles, so tired of always being the pawn and never the player. Surely, he had continued his research, looking for the ultimate mutant. But faced with the being before him, he was at a loss to compete. The Phoenix encompassed all. How could he ever hope to find more in another?

And her telekinesis tore at him, ripping his atoms apart one by one.

By God Himself, she was a glory, he thought…

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Theresa Cassidy cursed, swearing beneath her breath as she placed the paddles over Polaris' chest. One shock…and then another.

"Lorna! Please!" Bobby pleaded as he watched, helpless other than to observe.

Her body jumped at the touch of the paddles, contracting mindlessly in effect to them.

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"Illyana!" Kitty cried aloud as she found her friend, laid low by Sinister's schemes.

"Peace…Katya," she answered after some time. "All…is…as it should be…"

"NO!" Kitty cried aloud, kneeling to grasp her friend by the shoulders. "I won't watch you die again!"

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"Your life is mine!" Rogue cried as she tore at Sinister's very physical being.

"No, my life is mine, as it has ever been. As Remy's was mine…as yours shall be mine, should you fail."

"Then I shall not FAIL!" she cried, turning all of her might upon him.

And Sinister only smiled….