Ace of Hearts

Chapter 12

By Kanshisha Tenshi

~[ 3 ]~

            ::Rogue!  What did you do?::

            Ah fixed it.

            ::It's a mess!::

            Yeah?  So?  It was too...perfect when Ah came in.

            LaRogue held onto Gambit's waist with one hand and her shopping bags with another.  She'd just gotten the basics:  clothes, make-up, hair accessories, and more clothes.  She'd even gotten a few pairs of black jean shorts and black tank tops and spaghetti straps since LaRogue could touch now.  She was wearing a brand new pair of sunglasses on the way home.

            Besides, ya were busy buyin' out the stores an' Ah was bored.

            ::You know I'll just be cleaning this up, right?::

            Fine, but don' clean it up too much.

~[ 3 ]~

            "Hey, chére, what do you say we give Pyro back his room, non?  Gambit share his room wit' you."

            "All right."

            "By de way, jus' out o' curiosity, was it Rogue in Rogue's body or Lauren in Rogue's body dat kissed Remy?"

            "Rogue did that on her own."  Remy beamed.

            "Good t' know de ol' charm stil workin', hahn?"

            "Oh, please, don' flattah yaself.  Ya're just startin' t'...grown on meh is all."

            "Sure, petite."

~[ 3 ]~

            St. John trudged into his room, dropping his school books on the floor on his way in.  He sat down on his bed and held his face in his hands.

            What the bloody hell did that sheila mean?

~[ 3 ]~

            ::I don't know if we should go through with Mystique's plan.::

            Why not?

            ::If Philip finds a way to get me back into my body, what would happen to my/your/our powers?  I don't know if they'd fade away, follow me, or if I wouldn't be a mutant anymore.  I'm not so sure about it.  Besides, I don't have any homework in here.::

            How do ya know it's Philip?

            ::...Don't you remember what his powers are?::

~[ 3 ]~

            "Magneto?" Piotr asked, surprised.  "Of course you may talk to Rogue."  He handed the phone to a surprised LaRogue, who took it into Remy's room.  She closed the door behind her.

~[ 3 ]~

            "It's me," Mystique greeted simply.

            "Ah figured.  Make it quick."

            "We carry out the plan tomorrow after school."

            "Ain't that kinda fast?"

            "I can't stand taking Algebra II and Advanced World studies...again!  We carry out the plan tomorrow.  I understand your boss will be coming home today."

            "Actually, Saturday--"

            "Not anymore."

            "Ah don' wanna know."

            "Good, then I'll see you at school."

~[ 3 ]~

            Rogue walked back into the living room on the second story and sat down on the floor.  Remy sat on the couch behind her, Pyro next to him, and Piotr in an armchair drawing the whole scene.

            "What did the ol' bloke want?" asked St. John.

            "He said he an' hair-brain are done.  They're on their way back tonight."

~[ 3 ]~

            Mysten met LaRogue in the hallway at Rogue's locer.

            "I've most likely gotten her into trouble with most of her teachers," she admitted.  "I don't know her locker combination so I came to class without books, paper, pencils...anything."

            "Ah'll make it up to 'em when Ah'm back in mah body," she said through Rogue.  It was after school already, and they were getting ready to leave.  They'd filled the boys in on their plan at lunch.

::Flashback::

            "Hey, swamp rat," LaRogue welcomed, sitting next to him underneath her--their--all three of theirs, actually--tree.  He wrapped an arm around her and Lauren moved LaRogue's body closer to his.  Mysten sat across from them, awkwardly, next to Pyro.  Piotr sat quietly to the side.

            "We're going to execute the plan today," Mysten announced.

            "An' what exactly is this bloody plan o' yours?"

            "Ah'll explain.  Mystique wanted Magneto dead."  There was an uncomfortable sailence.  "She wants meh t' help her, since Ah've got Lauren's powers.  In return, she has a way t' get Lauren back in her real body..."

            "Do it," St. John whispered.

            "Ah'll need ya help, guys.  Ah can negate Magneto an' Mystique'll come up with a way t' kill him.  Ah can negate Sabertooth, but he's still pretty strong without the powers Ah'll bet.  An' then there's the problem o' gettin' Lauren's body out..."

            "I'll help," Piotr offered quietly.

            "So will I," St. John concurred.  LaRogue looked at Remy.

            "Remy do whatever m'chére wants him t'."  LaRogue smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

            "Thank ya," she whispered.

            He handed her a card.  She shoved it into her pocket without looking at it as the bell rang.

::End Flashback::

            Rogue fingered the card in her pocket and finally pulled it out.  Turning it over, she found...

            Ace of Clubs.

            Lauren, a lil' help, please?

            ::Think about it, kid.  In card games like Solitaire and Poker, what number is the Ace card?::

            Either a 1 or 11.

            ::Your best be would be 11 then.  Where at?::

            Ace o' clubs...meet him at the club tonight at 11!

            ::Now you're getting it, kid!::

            She slammed her locker shut and walked out of school with a confident, satisfied smile on her face.

~[ 3 ]~

            They met outside the Acolytes' house underneath Gambit's bedroom window.

            "Anyone got a cell phone?" LaRogue asked.

            "Yes.  I just finished using it."  Mysten tossed her/them the cell phone.

            Who are we callin'?

            ::Repro.  He'll be a big help.::

            "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.  This is Bobby, how may I help you?"

            "Bobby, first of all ya're a nut.  Second of all lemme speak t' Alex."

            "Rogue?"  He hesitated.  "All right."  There was a pause, then Repro spoke.

            "Hello?  Rogue?"

            "It's meh, Lauren.  Ah was absorbed bah Rogue.  Listen, Ah need ya t' meet meh here..."

~[ 3 ]~

            Philip arrived at about the same time as Alex.  Repro sprouted his wings and two extra arms, grabbed hold of Mysten and Aspire, and lifted them to Gambit's window.  Aspire gently applied his powers and the window vanished.

            LaRogue, Piotr, St. John and Remy went in through the front door.

~[ 3 ]~

            Sabertooth glared at the four/five teenagers that walked in.  He wanted them gone, but Magneto said he wanted them around for some diabolical scheme or another.  Victor Creed knew Lensherr just liked controlling their lives.

            Victor also knew he preferred to be--and worked better--alone.  Alas, if he'd had his way the mutiny never would have occured.

~[ 3 ]~

            LaRogue and Remy went straight into his/their room immediately.  Piotr and St. John sat down on the couch.  St. John grabbed the remote and turned on the television, a little too loud for Victor's taste.

            "Turn down the volume, Aussie," he snarled.

            "No thanks, mate.  I think I rather like it this loud," he retorted.

            Thus Sabertooth and Magneto did not hear the hushed conversation coming from Remy's room.

~[ 3 ]~

            Remy handed Lauren's body to Repro, who flew out the window to the ground.  Remy followed with Philip, landing gracefully on the ground with the other boy in his arms.  LaRogue watched him go, then looked at Mysten.

            "All right, play dead, Mystique."

            "Very funny," she replied with a scowl.  She lay down on the bed and LaRogue covered her with the blankets.  She walked out of the room, but didn't shut the door behind her.

~[ 3 ]~

            Magneto felt a tingle rush through every vein in his body, and it wasn't because he was looking at naughty pictures he shouldn't be looking at...

            It was because LaRogue was anxiously working her "magic" on him.  His powers were, in a way, going to sleep, like an arm when held in one position too long.

            She was applying her power so heavily she felt she would faint; but she wanted to make damn sure this worked.

            ::Slow down, kid; we'll have to get out of here, too, and we can't do that if we can't even walk.  Now for Creed...::

            She turned her attention toward Sabertooth, who had been instantly alerted to Magneto's loss of power.  Before he could attack, she slammed into him with a carefully-weaved web of mutation that could only have come from Neutra.  The tendrils of it swam in his blood, and the power was so strong it might have been tangible.  Through Lauren's vision, LaRogue could see that it was.*

~[ 3 ]~

            Piotr watched intently as LaRogue faced Sabertooth wordlessly.  He assumed his cue was when Creed's fangs, claws, and unnatural hair and strength faded away.  He changed into his steel-like form and charged into the adult, sending him into a wall.  Before he had a chance to get up, Colossus lifted him into the air and threw him into a closet.  He shut the door and dragged the couch in front of it.

            "What do you think you're doing?" Magneto bellowed.

            "Sorry, sugah, but ya'll's time has come," LaRogue intoned darkly.

            "What?  I demand you stop this at once!"

            "Make meh."  Pyro and Colossus regarded the old man threateningly, arms crossed, while LaRogue snatched his keys.  Bowing mockingly, she and the boys backed out of the front door.  LaRogue locked it behind them.

~[ 3 ]~

            Erik Magnus Lensherr didn't have long to wait until he came face to face with the source of the mutant mutiny.  Behind him were the sounds of a more domesticated Sabertooth fighting for freedom from the closet.  To his side, he caught sight of Lauren sitting up in bed...

            Only it wasn't Lauren, he knew.  It was Mystique in the shape of the girl.  And she was coming to kill him.

            He smiled grimly.

            Let her come.

~[ 3 ]~

            They had run out of the house, and Pyro ordered them to back up.  Flames trailed out from his fingertips and flew to the house.  It caught fire immediately.

            "What're ya doin'?" Rogue cried.  "Stop!"

            "Those blokes better get used t' burnin'...'cause they'll bloody be burnin' for all eternity if I have anything to do with it!"

            Colossus grabbed hold of him and LaRogue neutralized him; but it was too late for the three still trapped in the house.

~[ 3 ]~

*Lauren can see her power like others see theirs, but she is the only one other than Rogue.  If you'd like to envision it, imagine controlled smoke.  It seeps into the "victim" through any opening possible--pores, mouth, nose, etc.

Author's Notes:  One more chapter to load.  I've actually already finished this story and am currently working on a sequel as well as another story (alternate universes--the only kind!).  Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, but I just had this huge urge to write a Rogue-centered fanfic.  If you like drama, angst, love, etc. as well as a pretty pointless version of all of the aforementioned traits, then check out my new songfic "Bring Me To Life."  I'll get the last chapter/epilogue up as soon as I can, but I've got lots of projects going right now.  Far be it from me to work on only one story at a time...

Anyway, review, e-mail, IM, anything!  I like to talk to people who like my stories because I really don't have a life and spend most of my time on my computer anyway...and I like to meet new people.

Thanks so much for all the positive reviews, I love you guys, you're great!  Good night and God bless!