Authors note: Well, I finally wrote it. Kurt and Rogue are gonna meet up
with Mystique. I'm sorry that its another long one, but I had a lot of
stuff to fit in. I'm back at school now, so the next update won't come
until the weekend. You guys are gonna have to wait till Friday at least to
find out what happens. *grins madly* aren't I evil??
Well, enjoy! ^^
Rogue sat at the edge of her seat, gloved hands curled into fists. The combined cheers of five hundred people ran in her ears. She joined in, screaming at the top of her lungs as three monster trucks sped madly around the corner, giant tires skinning clouds of dust high into the air. The heady scent of petrol burned in her nose.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that you were having a good time."
She looked across to see Kurt returning from the men's-room, amused smile playing on his mouth. He sat down, wedged tightly between Rogue and a heavyset man sitting next to him.
"Maybe, but don't go telling anyone." She winced suddenly as the crowd broke into a roar - one of the trucks had just smashed into a pile of tires. "Kitty makes fun of my style enough as it is. I don't need her thinking that I'm into Monster Trucks - I'd never hear the last of it!"
Kurt wrinkled his nose and shouted to be heard over the noise. "She can talk! Have you seen her CD collection? Trust me, she's the last one who should be dishing out lectures on taste." He dug under his seat for a moment before withdrawing a couple of cans. He offered one to her. "Thirsty?"
Rogue accepted gratefully, cracking open the can with one hand. Lifting it to her lips, she took a long, slow draught, and then frowned curiously.
"Beer?"
He nodded, dark eyes fixed to the show. "Uh-huh."
She arched her eyebrows sardonically. "What's this? The good little X Man turned to the dark side?" she smirked "I never expected that from you."
"For your information, in Germany its legal to drink beer at age sixteen. I am a German citizen, ergo, I'm not doing anything wrong."
She laughed and took another sip. "Sounds like a fun country."
He gave a low chuckle. "You should see the Beer Fest at Munich" he told her earnestly.
"Maybe I will one day."
He brightened. "Sure! You could come with me! We could get drunk and party all night long - I look great in Lederhosen."
Picturing Kurt dressed up like a Bavarian fruitcake, Rogue couldn't help but smile. "Lederhosen?"
He sniffed airily. "They're an important part of my cultural heritage."
"Yeah --- sure."
"Seriously though, we should totally do something like that. I'm sure my parents would love to have you round during one of the holidays. It'd be fun!"
The gothic painted girl leaned back in her chair, arms crossing over her chest. She shrugged. "Somehow, I don't think you're parents would like me very much."
Again, they were surrounded by the roar of the crowd. Sudden and deafening, even Kurt looked startled. From the sound of grinding metal, he guessed that something had just crashed. He shook his head.
"Are you kidding? They already love you!"
She frowned. "How-"
"We phone each other at least twice a week, I tell them everything." He lowered his gaze, looking a little ashamed. "Kind of nerdy, huh?"
Rogue blinked, nodding. "Yeah. But cute. What did you tell them about me?"
He smiled, again looking embarrassed. "Nothing. Well, you know, that I'd made a new friend. I told them about how nice you were."
She considered him, dark lips curved with open amusement. "Did you tell them about how madly attracted to me you were?"
"Err ---- something like that," Kurt replied, not wholly untruthfully.
Rogue was silent for a moment, watching the trucks racing around the obstacle course. She leaned forward; resting her elbows on her knees, chin in her hands. She pouted thoughtfully.
"Did you ever tell them about Mystique?" she asked quietly, glancing mistrustfully to the man sitting beside her. She needn't have worried. Even if anyone had overheard their conversation, she didn't suppose it would mean anything to them.
He frowned. "What? You mean the first time?"
She nodded mutely.
"I didn't have to, the prof phoned them."
She considered this. "How did they react?"
He shrugged uncomfortably, running a hand through his raven coloured hair. "I don't know. I think they were more worried about me. They kept asking me questions --- in the end I just told them that I didn't want to talk about it anymore."
"Did they ever talk to you about it again?"
Kurt frowned. "They tried to."
She nodded, understanding. The truth about Kurt's parentage had come as a shock to everyone, especially Kurt himself. She knew what it felt like to have your world turned upside down. Sometimes, the last thing that you needed was to 'talk it over' ---- even with people that you cared about.
"What about that letter she sent you the other day? Did you tell them about that?"
She kept her gaze locked on the monster trucks, but she could feel him squirm awkwardly beside her. Obviously, he hadn't.
"No," he admitted reluctantly, "I haven't called them yet."
"Are you going to?"
He thought about it for a while. Despite the clamour surrounding them, Rogue was aware of the heavy silence between them. Finally, he shook his head. "No. At least not yet anyway." He sighed wearily, a tired look crossing over his features. "They'd only worry about me, or try to take me back to Germany. I don't want that - I want to stay here."
She smiled sadly. "None of us would want you to go either, hairball."
He lifted his eyebrows; weary half smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Really?"
"Of course not. I mean, who would Evan hang out with? And Scott would miss you I guess. And Kitty, and Jean ---"
He watched her hopefully. "And?"
She paused and glanced over at him. "And me," she told him earnestly.
He held her gaze for a moment before looking away shyly. "Thanks Rogue" he murmured quietly. "It means a lot - you know?"
The gothic beauty frowned and cleared her throat before it got too sentimental. She brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ears. "Yeah, well, this doesn't mean I like you using my nail scissors, alright?"
Receiving his cue that the serious part of the conversation had finished, Kurt quickly retreated to his familiar mask of cheerfulness. It was a thin disguise, and no amount of holographics could hide the drained look in his dark eyes.
"Look, I already told you - it was Evan."
She folded her arms across her chest. "Since when does Evan Daniels leave blue fur in the bath?" she tilted her head inquiringly.
"Okay, that I can't explain." He looked around him for some kind of distraction, suddenly perking up. "Hey, I got us some popcorn."
"What? From the bathroom?"
"Ha-ha, zehr lustig. Actually, I stopped by the snack stand on the way back."
She watched uneasily as he lifted a large paper bag from the floor beside his seat. "I hope you washed your hands," she muttered.
He rolled his eyes. "I'm a very hygienic elf, thank you." Just to prove it, he made a point of licking his right hand.
"Ewww! Kurt, gross!"
"Would I do that if I hadn't washed?"
She grimaced. "With you, I'm not sure. Could you at least use your other hand while you're eating? I don't want your germs crawling all over my popcorn."
Kurt shrugged, undaunted, and obediently used his left. He munched happily. "I can think of much more enjoyable ways of swapping saliva, if you're interested?"
The look of disgust she shot him left him in no allusions to his answer. "In your dreams," she snarled darkly.
He nodded offhandedly. "Yes, actually." He waved the paper bag under her nose, "More popcorn?"
Time passed.
Rogue stared out over the crowd. Still twenty minutes till the end of the show. Not that she minded - she was actually surprised by the good time that she'd been having. Monster Trucks didn't exactly require a lot of brainpower to enjoy ---- maybe that was half the pleasure. Just to be able to shut down for an hour and forget about the problems that awaited her outside the tent.
That was half the reason she had agreed to go along with this. The other reason - aside from the fact that Risty wouldn't have stopped going on about it - was that she wanted to give Kurt some time off. It had been two days since he had received the letter from Mystique, and every time Rogue saw him, he had the same look in his eyes. Weary resignation ---- a deeply hidden pain. He was eating himself up inside.
She looked at him sadly now. He was smiling, cheering with the rest of the audience as the trucks tore around the track. With his holographic disguise, he didn't look remarkable in any way. Just another teenager enjoying a monster truck rally, not a care in the world -----
All a lie.
She frowned suddenly, dark lips parting. Her grey eyes had picked out a familiar figure in the shifting crowd. It was far away, so she couldn't be certain ----
Kurt elbowed her, forcing her to tear her gaze away.
"Hey, was is los?"
She blinked, startled, and turned back to the crowd. "I thought-"
"What?"
Rogue frowned in confusion, scanning quickly over the rows of faces, but it was no good. The figure had gone.
"Oh ----- nothing. I just ---- thought I saw someone from school is all."
Kurt seemed satisfied with this answer, and turned his attention back to the trucks.
Rogue closed her eyes and slowly let out a deep breath. She was so sure. It had been exactly the same. The same neat hairstyle, the same immaculate suit ----- even the same dark rimmed glasses.
Raven Darkholme.
What had frightened Rogue was the fact that the older woman had been staring straight at her. Their eyes had met briefly, and, just for a moment, she saw something pass over Raven's hard expression. A look of understanding.
Tonight. It was going to happen tonight.
Instinctively, Rogue placed her gloved hand on Kurt's shoulder. If Mystique wanted him, she would have to go through her first.
All the way through the rally, Rogue didn't leave Kurt's side. Eventually, the show finished, and the crowd began to gradually disperse. The young girl kept her eyes open, body tensed and alert, unconsciously playing with the rim of her gloves as the two mutants began the walk back to the Institute. She wasn't about to be caught off guard. She was responsible for Kurt now.
One thing was for sure; she would feel a lot better if she knew what Mystique was planning.
She didn't have to wait for long to find out.
"And did you see the part when the Big Foot came rolling in and smashed up all those junkyard cars? Kurt enthused, still munching on popcorn "That was awesome!"
Rogue nodded and murmured something non-committal, eyes darting around. They were walking along a darkened street outside the mall. It was empty, devoid of human life signs. The streetlight ahead of them was blinking on and off - pooling neon light flickering uncertainly, like a candle in the wind.
Rogue looked up at the sky and vainly wished for one of the X Men to drive by and pick them up. It was unlikely. And anyway, all the stars to wish on had been obscured by the layers of shroud-like clouds. The weather had taken a turn for the worst that afternoon, and it looked like the heady summer heat was set to give way to a storm. Rogue shivered and wrapped her arms around herself in a protective hug. She was wearing the jacket that Kurt had given her a few weeks ago. Its warmth was a strange comfort to her as she walked down that lonely road.
"--- Do you think we could persuade the prof to invest in a Monster Truck?" Kurt continued, apparently not fazed by the creepy surroundings. "It might come in useful when we're facing off with the Brotherhood."
They turned a corner in the street. Rogue halted suddenly, cold fear squirming unpleasantly within her gut. All of the streetlights were gone, and she found herself staring down a black void. It was oddly unsettling.
"Kurt," she called to the boy, who was a few paces ahead of her, "Kurt, lets go the other way."
He paused in the middle of the road, eyebrows raised. "You're not afraid of the dark now are you?" he laughed.
Rogue stared uneasily into the darkness beyond. "No," she growled, "I just don't think this is a good idea that's all."
"'The long way round' is so called, strangely enough, because it happens to be fifteen minutes longer," he glanced down at his holo-watch "And its twenty past nine now. If we go that way, we'll be late for curfew."
She folded her arms sulkily. "Like that's ever bothered you before."
"They didn't name me Nightcrawler for nothing." He sighed and walked to stand in front of her. In his holographic form, he was a lot taller than she was. She tilted her head upwards, staring him in the eye.
"I'm just getting a bad feeling about this," she muttered quietly.
He took another step forward. He was close now --- very close. "If things get scary, you can always hold my hand," he offered quietly, a hopeful note in his voice.
Rogue scowled. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have minded walking home in the dark. She wasn't a sissy. But that brief sighting of Raven had unsettled her. If Mystique was going to make her move, what better place than down that shaded street?
She looked up at him, jaw firm and unwavering. "I thought I saw Ms Darkholme earlier, at the rally. I think she's going to make her move tonight."
Kurt paused, caught of guard by the information. Slowly, a frown spread across his pale forehead. "Mystique?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I think so."
He took a moment to consider. His dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to panic you. It was only for a second and I couldn't be certain."
Kurt watched her wordlessly for a moment. The silence drew closely around them, black and suffocating, like a subtle drape. At that moment, Rogue would have given anything to be back in the warmth of the Institute.
Suddenly the young boy stepped away from her, dark eyes scanning the street before him. Pressing his image inducer, the image of the pale skinned boy flickered briefly before dissolving into nothing. The true Kurt Wagner stood before her now in full X Man uniform, hunched and animalistic, blue fur making him near invisible against the darkness.
"Alright," he spoke out to the void, "I'm here. I'm ready."
His words were not spoken loudly, but in that heavy quiet, they seemed to rebound and strengthen. A memory danced at the edge of Rogue's consciousness ----
----- 'When you are ready, I will find you.'
She peered into the gloom, sliding one of her gloves off in readiness.
Kurt stood in wait for what seemed like an age, listening to the echo of his own voice die. He remained motionless, his ears straining for any hint of her presence. Pretty useless he realised - Mystique could move with the stealth of a cat when she wanted to.
Minutes passed by, and nothing happened. Finally, he allowed his muscles to relax, a sigh escaping his lips. He wasn't sure how he felt. Relieved certainly, but a little disappointed too. He wanted to get this over with.
"I guess she's not going to show," he muttered, turning to Rogue.
The young girl opened her mouth, about to agree, when she suddenly froze. Kurt whirled round, pale eyes wide. This was it.
She slowly emerged from a darkened alleyway, a shadow disengaging from a shadow. Mystique.
Kurt blinked, taking a step backwards. Not for the first time, he was struck by the similarity in their appearance. Same azure skin ----- same pale eyes ----- his mother.
He shuddered, repulsed by the thought.
"How long have you been there?" he asked. Inwardly, he hoped that his question sounded more confident than he felt. Suddenly, he wasn't certain if he had the strength to go through with this.
Mystique walked slowly towards them. As she grew closer, he was surprised to see her wearing the same shapeless brown robe that she had worn the first time they had met. The memory of that meeting flitted through his brain, like some half forgotten nightmare.
She halted a few meters away from where the two mutants stood. "I had to be certain that you were alone. I couldn't risk a repeat performance of last time." Her voice was low, almost a whisper in the night air.
Kurt felt a pair on fingers brush against his arm. Rogue touched him gently with her gloved hand, pushing him protectively behind her. Her expression was cold and impossible to read.
"How can we be sure that you're by yourself?" she asked darkly.
Mystique paused, considering. Letting the hood fall from her head, she let the cool breeze flame in her hair. "I didn't come to lead you into a trap, if that's what you're thinking. I can't prove that to you, so you'll just have to trust me."
Rogue's painted lips drew downwards. "You'll forgive me if I'm a little cynical," she spat bitterly.
The older woman blinked mutely. "If that's the case, I wonder why you came at all?"
"I'm here for Kurt, not for you."
Mystique smiled. "I guessed as much." Her gaze went from one, to the other, and then back again. "Actually," she continued after a moment, "I'm glad that you came. It makes it easier to explain."
Kurt took a deep breath, fighting an inner battle between hope and fear. "Are you going to explain? About what happened to me?"
Despite himself, he was shaking.
With uncharacteristic gentleness, Mystique nodded. "Yes. You deserve to know the truth."
The young boy took a step forward, standing side by side with Rogue. He was afraid ---- so afraid. A part of him suddenly didn't want to do this. He wanted to go home, to his real family ---- to his real mother, not this cheap impostor.
He looked across to Rogue. In the murky half-light, she seemed vague and insubstantial, ghost-like. It kind of suited her - she'd always had a kind of otherworldliness. In his confused mind, it half occurred to him that she might have been something that he had been dreaming up for the past year. A figment of his imagination.
He blinked suddenly as he felt a warm hand slid into his own. Her fingers locked around his and gave them a small squeeze. So humble a gesture, and yet it spoke more than words ever could. No matter what, Rogue was going to be there for him. Always. He loved her for that.
Slowly disengaging his hand, he took a deep breath. He was ready.
"What is it that you want to tell me?"
Mystique watched him, solemn and immovable. "What is it that you want to know?"
"The truth."
"The truth is what you make of it."
Kurt gave a frustrated growl. He wasn't in the mood for cryptic guessing games. "No more secrets," he snarled, "I want to know about my past. No lies."
His mother sighed and shook her head. She looked old ---- very old. And tired. "So many things I've been wanting to tell you ----- both of you. But I couldn't. Not with Magneto, not with Charles around."
"The Professor?" Rogue interjected, gaze narrowed suspiciously. "What does he have to do with this?"
Mystique looked at her, hands clasped at her front. The brown cloak shifted in the breeze.
"The Professor was the one that's been keeping the truth from you. He knows the about what happened, he just chose not to tell you."
There was a brief silence as they all considered this revelation.
Kurt shook his head in bitter disbelief, his furred face disfigured by a sneer of contempt. He gave a hard laugh. "You know," he told her "For a moment there, you almost had me going." He turned and began to stalk angrily away. "Forget this, I'm going."
Mystique watched him go. "It's the truth!" she called after him desperately, "He knows about the genetic experiment!"
Kurt paused, mid stride, frozen in horror. His mouth hung open slightly, his eyes wide and unblinking. The word hung in the space between them, slicing through his ears like a blade.
Experiment.
Oh-God-please-don't-let-it-be-true-oh-God-please-don't-let-it-be-true-oh- God-please-don't-let-it-be-true
He swallowed, turning slowly. "Experiment?"
Mystique nodded. "Yes."
He trembled, mind clouded with doubt. "The Professor would have told me."
"You don't sound very sure about that."
"You're just messing with my head."
She stood motionless, more shadow than human. "You wanted to know the truth, Kurt," she told him quietly, "And I'm giving it to you. Whether you believe me or not, that's your decision."
Kurt swayed uncertainly on his feet. His head was swimming. He had thought that he had wanted to know all of this, but now all he wanted was to hold his hands over his ears and block out the sound of her voice forever. His eyebrows pulled together in a look of hesitation.
"There's more, but it won't be easy for you to hear."
More? Kurt wasn't sure if he could take anymore. Just that one word, 'experiment', had already sent his world upside-down.
She paused, pale eyes lowered to the ground. Her dark lips opened and closed several times, trying to find the right words, but finding none.
"Kurt, you have a sister."
The young boy visibly sagged a little. His entire lithe frame was shaking; breath coming in short, uneven takes. Surprisingly, he laughed.
"Well, that's a new one I guess." He glanced up at her, daring her to meet his gaze. "So? Come on then, who is it? A name, an age, a home email address --- come on, what have you got for me?"
He paused. He was talking fast and shrill, it didn't sound like his voice, not even to his own ears.
Mystique shook her head sadly and looked up at the two mutants. To both their surprise, tears were streaming down her azure cheeks, hot and unashamed. "I'm so sorry. I never meant-"
"WHO IS IT?!" Kurt roared.
Mystique pressed her dark lips together.
"Its Rogue."
Rogue sat at the edge of her seat, gloved hands curled into fists. The combined cheers of five hundred people ran in her ears. She joined in, screaming at the top of her lungs as three monster trucks sped madly around the corner, giant tires skinning clouds of dust high into the air. The heady scent of petrol burned in her nose.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that you were having a good time."
She looked across to see Kurt returning from the men's-room, amused smile playing on his mouth. He sat down, wedged tightly between Rogue and a heavyset man sitting next to him.
"Maybe, but don't go telling anyone." She winced suddenly as the crowd broke into a roar - one of the trucks had just smashed into a pile of tires. "Kitty makes fun of my style enough as it is. I don't need her thinking that I'm into Monster Trucks - I'd never hear the last of it!"
Kurt wrinkled his nose and shouted to be heard over the noise. "She can talk! Have you seen her CD collection? Trust me, she's the last one who should be dishing out lectures on taste." He dug under his seat for a moment before withdrawing a couple of cans. He offered one to her. "Thirsty?"
Rogue accepted gratefully, cracking open the can with one hand. Lifting it to her lips, she took a long, slow draught, and then frowned curiously.
"Beer?"
He nodded, dark eyes fixed to the show. "Uh-huh."
She arched her eyebrows sardonically. "What's this? The good little X Man turned to the dark side?" she smirked "I never expected that from you."
"For your information, in Germany its legal to drink beer at age sixteen. I am a German citizen, ergo, I'm not doing anything wrong."
She laughed and took another sip. "Sounds like a fun country."
He gave a low chuckle. "You should see the Beer Fest at Munich" he told her earnestly.
"Maybe I will one day."
He brightened. "Sure! You could come with me! We could get drunk and party all night long - I look great in Lederhosen."
Picturing Kurt dressed up like a Bavarian fruitcake, Rogue couldn't help but smile. "Lederhosen?"
He sniffed airily. "They're an important part of my cultural heritage."
"Yeah --- sure."
"Seriously though, we should totally do something like that. I'm sure my parents would love to have you round during one of the holidays. It'd be fun!"
The gothic painted girl leaned back in her chair, arms crossing over her chest. She shrugged. "Somehow, I don't think you're parents would like me very much."
Again, they were surrounded by the roar of the crowd. Sudden and deafening, even Kurt looked startled. From the sound of grinding metal, he guessed that something had just crashed. He shook his head.
"Are you kidding? They already love you!"
She frowned. "How-"
"We phone each other at least twice a week, I tell them everything." He lowered his gaze, looking a little ashamed. "Kind of nerdy, huh?"
Rogue blinked, nodding. "Yeah. But cute. What did you tell them about me?"
He smiled, again looking embarrassed. "Nothing. Well, you know, that I'd made a new friend. I told them about how nice you were."
She considered him, dark lips curved with open amusement. "Did you tell them about how madly attracted to me you were?"
"Err ---- something like that," Kurt replied, not wholly untruthfully.
Rogue was silent for a moment, watching the trucks racing around the obstacle course. She leaned forward; resting her elbows on her knees, chin in her hands. She pouted thoughtfully.
"Did you ever tell them about Mystique?" she asked quietly, glancing mistrustfully to the man sitting beside her. She needn't have worried. Even if anyone had overheard their conversation, she didn't suppose it would mean anything to them.
He frowned. "What? You mean the first time?"
She nodded mutely.
"I didn't have to, the prof phoned them."
She considered this. "How did they react?"
He shrugged uncomfortably, running a hand through his raven coloured hair. "I don't know. I think they were more worried about me. They kept asking me questions --- in the end I just told them that I didn't want to talk about it anymore."
"Did they ever talk to you about it again?"
Kurt frowned. "They tried to."
She nodded, understanding. The truth about Kurt's parentage had come as a shock to everyone, especially Kurt himself. She knew what it felt like to have your world turned upside down. Sometimes, the last thing that you needed was to 'talk it over' ---- even with people that you cared about.
"What about that letter she sent you the other day? Did you tell them about that?"
She kept her gaze locked on the monster trucks, but she could feel him squirm awkwardly beside her. Obviously, he hadn't.
"No," he admitted reluctantly, "I haven't called them yet."
"Are you going to?"
He thought about it for a while. Despite the clamour surrounding them, Rogue was aware of the heavy silence between them. Finally, he shook his head. "No. At least not yet anyway." He sighed wearily, a tired look crossing over his features. "They'd only worry about me, or try to take me back to Germany. I don't want that - I want to stay here."
She smiled sadly. "None of us would want you to go either, hairball."
He lifted his eyebrows; weary half smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Really?"
"Of course not. I mean, who would Evan hang out with? And Scott would miss you I guess. And Kitty, and Jean ---"
He watched her hopefully. "And?"
She paused and glanced over at him. "And me," she told him earnestly.
He held her gaze for a moment before looking away shyly. "Thanks Rogue" he murmured quietly. "It means a lot - you know?"
The gothic beauty frowned and cleared her throat before it got too sentimental. She brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ears. "Yeah, well, this doesn't mean I like you using my nail scissors, alright?"
Receiving his cue that the serious part of the conversation had finished, Kurt quickly retreated to his familiar mask of cheerfulness. It was a thin disguise, and no amount of holographics could hide the drained look in his dark eyes.
"Look, I already told you - it was Evan."
She folded her arms across her chest. "Since when does Evan Daniels leave blue fur in the bath?" she tilted her head inquiringly.
"Okay, that I can't explain." He looked around him for some kind of distraction, suddenly perking up. "Hey, I got us some popcorn."
"What? From the bathroom?"
"Ha-ha, zehr lustig. Actually, I stopped by the snack stand on the way back."
She watched uneasily as he lifted a large paper bag from the floor beside his seat. "I hope you washed your hands," she muttered.
He rolled his eyes. "I'm a very hygienic elf, thank you." Just to prove it, he made a point of licking his right hand.
"Ewww! Kurt, gross!"
"Would I do that if I hadn't washed?"
She grimaced. "With you, I'm not sure. Could you at least use your other hand while you're eating? I don't want your germs crawling all over my popcorn."
Kurt shrugged, undaunted, and obediently used his left. He munched happily. "I can think of much more enjoyable ways of swapping saliva, if you're interested?"
The look of disgust she shot him left him in no allusions to his answer. "In your dreams," she snarled darkly.
He nodded offhandedly. "Yes, actually." He waved the paper bag under her nose, "More popcorn?"
Time passed.
Rogue stared out over the crowd. Still twenty minutes till the end of the show. Not that she minded - she was actually surprised by the good time that she'd been having. Monster Trucks didn't exactly require a lot of brainpower to enjoy ---- maybe that was half the pleasure. Just to be able to shut down for an hour and forget about the problems that awaited her outside the tent.
That was half the reason she had agreed to go along with this. The other reason - aside from the fact that Risty wouldn't have stopped going on about it - was that she wanted to give Kurt some time off. It had been two days since he had received the letter from Mystique, and every time Rogue saw him, he had the same look in his eyes. Weary resignation ---- a deeply hidden pain. He was eating himself up inside.
She looked at him sadly now. He was smiling, cheering with the rest of the audience as the trucks tore around the track. With his holographic disguise, he didn't look remarkable in any way. Just another teenager enjoying a monster truck rally, not a care in the world -----
All a lie.
She frowned suddenly, dark lips parting. Her grey eyes had picked out a familiar figure in the shifting crowd. It was far away, so she couldn't be certain ----
Kurt elbowed her, forcing her to tear her gaze away.
"Hey, was is los?"
She blinked, startled, and turned back to the crowd. "I thought-"
"What?"
Rogue frowned in confusion, scanning quickly over the rows of faces, but it was no good. The figure had gone.
"Oh ----- nothing. I just ---- thought I saw someone from school is all."
Kurt seemed satisfied with this answer, and turned his attention back to the trucks.
Rogue closed her eyes and slowly let out a deep breath. She was so sure. It had been exactly the same. The same neat hairstyle, the same immaculate suit ----- even the same dark rimmed glasses.
Raven Darkholme.
What had frightened Rogue was the fact that the older woman had been staring straight at her. Their eyes had met briefly, and, just for a moment, she saw something pass over Raven's hard expression. A look of understanding.
Tonight. It was going to happen tonight.
Instinctively, Rogue placed her gloved hand on Kurt's shoulder. If Mystique wanted him, she would have to go through her first.
All the way through the rally, Rogue didn't leave Kurt's side. Eventually, the show finished, and the crowd began to gradually disperse. The young girl kept her eyes open, body tensed and alert, unconsciously playing with the rim of her gloves as the two mutants began the walk back to the Institute. She wasn't about to be caught off guard. She was responsible for Kurt now.
One thing was for sure; she would feel a lot better if she knew what Mystique was planning.
She didn't have to wait for long to find out.
"And did you see the part when the Big Foot came rolling in and smashed up all those junkyard cars? Kurt enthused, still munching on popcorn "That was awesome!"
Rogue nodded and murmured something non-committal, eyes darting around. They were walking along a darkened street outside the mall. It was empty, devoid of human life signs. The streetlight ahead of them was blinking on and off - pooling neon light flickering uncertainly, like a candle in the wind.
Rogue looked up at the sky and vainly wished for one of the X Men to drive by and pick them up. It was unlikely. And anyway, all the stars to wish on had been obscured by the layers of shroud-like clouds. The weather had taken a turn for the worst that afternoon, and it looked like the heady summer heat was set to give way to a storm. Rogue shivered and wrapped her arms around herself in a protective hug. She was wearing the jacket that Kurt had given her a few weeks ago. Its warmth was a strange comfort to her as she walked down that lonely road.
"--- Do you think we could persuade the prof to invest in a Monster Truck?" Kurt continued, apparently not fazed by the creepy surroundings. "It might come in useful when we're facing off with the Brotherhood."
They turned a corner in the street. Rogue halted suddenly, cold fear squirming unpleasantly within her gut. All of the streetlights were gone, and she found herself staring down a black void. It was oddly unsettling.
"Kurt," she called to the boy, who was a few paces ahead of her, "Kurt, lets go the other way."
He paused in the middle of the road, eyebrows raised. "You're not afraid of the dark now are you?" he laughed.
Rogue stared uneasily into the darkness beyond. "No," she growled, "I just don't think this is a good idea that's all."
"'The long way round' is so called, strangely enough, because it happens to be fifteen minutes longer," he glanced down at his holo-watch "And its twenty past nine now. If we go that way, we'll be late for curfew."
She folded her arms sulkily. "Like that's ever bothered you before."
"They didn't name me Nightcrawler for nothing." He sighed and walked to stand in front of her. In his holographic form, he was a lot taller than she was. She tilted her head upwards, staring him in the eye.
"I'm just getting a bad feeling about this," she muttered quietly.
He took another step forward. He was close now --- very close. "If things get scary, you can always hold my hand," he offered quietly, a hopeful note in his voice.
Rogue scowled. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have minded walking home in the dark. She wasn't a sissy. But that brief sighting of Raven had unsettled her. If Mystique was going to make her move, what better place than down that shaded street?
She looked up at him, jaw firm and unwavering. "I thought I saw Ms Darkholme earlier, at the rally. I think she's going to make her move tonight."
Kurt paused, caught of guard by the information. Slowly, a frown spread across his pale forehead. "Mystique?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I think so."
He took a moment to consider. His dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to panic you. It was only for a second and I couldn't be certain."
Kurt watched her wordlessly for a moment. The silence drew closely around them, black and suffocating, like a subtle drape. At that moment, Rogue would have given anything to be back in the warmth of the Institute.
Suddenly the young boy stepped away from her, dark eyes scanning the street before him. Pressing his image inducer, the image of the pale skinned boy flickered briefly before dissolving into nothing. The true Kurt Wagner stood before her now in full X Man uniform, hunched and animalistic, blue fur making him near invisible against the darkness.
"Alright," he spoke out to the void, "I'm here. I'm ready."
His words were not spoken loudly, but in that heavy quiet, they seemed to rebound and strengthen. A memory danced at the edge of Rogue's consciousness ----
----- 'When you are ready, I will find you.'
She peered into the gloom, sliding one of her gloves off in readiness.
Kurt stood in wait for what seemed like an age, listening to the echo of his own voice die. He remained motionless, his ears straining for any hint of her presence. Pretty useless he realised - Mystique could move with the stealth of a cat when she wanted to.
Minutes passed by, and nothing happened. Finally, he allowed his muscles to relax, a sigh escaping his lips. He wasn't sure how he felt. Relieved certainly, but a little disappointed too. He wanted to get this over with.
"I guess she's not going to show," he muttered, turning to Rogue.
The young girl opened her mouth, about to agree, when she suddenly froze. Kurt whirled round, pale eyes wide. This was it.
She slowly emerged from a darkened alleyway, a shadow disengaging from a shadow. Mystique.
Kurt blinked, taking a step backwards. Not for the first time, he was struck by the similarity in their appearance. Same azure skin ----- same pale eyes ----- his mother.
He shuddered, repulsed by the thought.
"How long have you been there?" he asked. Inwardly, he hoped that his question sounded more confident than he felt. Suddenly, he wasn't certain if he had the strength to go through with this.
Mystique walked slowly towards them. As she grew closer, he was surprised to see her wearing the same shapeless brown robe that she had worn the first time they had met. The memory of that meeting flitted through his brain, like some half forgotten nightmare.
She halted a few meters away from where the two mutants stood. "I had to be certain that you were alone. I couldn't risk a repeat performance of last time." Her voice was low, almost a whisper in the night air.
Kurt felt a pair on fingers brush against his arm. Rogue touched him gently with her gloved hand, pushing him protectively behind her. Her expression was cold and impossible to read.
"How can we be sure that you're by yourself?" she asked darkly.
Mystique paused, considering. Letting the hood fall from her head, she let the cool breeze flame in her hair. "I didn't come to lead you into a trap, if that's what you're thinking. I can't prove that to you, so you'll just have to trust me."
Rogue's painted lips drew downwards. "You'll forgive me if I'm a little cynical," she spat bitterly.
The older woman blinked mutely. "If that's the case, I wonder why you came at all?"
"I'm here for Kurt, not for you."
Mystique smiled. "I guessed as much." Her gaze went from one, to the other, and then back again. "Actually," she continued after a moment, "I'm glad that you came. It makes it easier to explain."
Kurt took a deep breath, fighting an inner battle between hope and fear. "Are you going to explain? About what happened to me?"
Despite himself, he was shaking.
With uncharacteristic gentleness, Mystique nodded. "Yes. You deserve to know the truth."
The young boy took a step forward, standing side by side with Rogue. He was afraid ---- so afraid. A part of him suddenly didn't want to do this. He wanted to go home, to his real family ---- to his real mother, not this cheap impostor.
He looked across to Rogue. In the murky half-light, she seemed vague and insubstantial, ghost-like. It kind of suited her - she'd always had a kind of otherworldliness. In his confused mind, it half occurred to him that she might have been something that he had been dreaming up for the past year. A figment of his imagination.
He blinked suddenly as he felt a warm hand slid into his own. Her fingers locked around his and gave them a small squeeze. So humble a gesture, and yet it spoke more than words ever could. No matter what, Rogue was going to be there for him. Always. He loved her for that.
Slowly disengaging his hand, he took a deep breath. He was ready.
"What is it that you want to tell me?"
Mystique watched him, solemn and immovable. "What is it that you want to know?"
"The truth."
"The truth is what you make of it."
Kurt gave a frustrated growl. He wasn't in the mood for cryptic guessing games. "No more secrets," he snarled, "I want to know about my past. No lies."
His mother sighed and shook her head. She looked old ---- very old. And tired. "So many things I've been wanting to tell you ----- both of you. But I couldn't. Not with Magneto, not with Charles around."
"The Professor?" Rogue interjected, gaze narrowed suspiciously. "What does he have to do with this?"
Mystique looked at her, hands clasped at her front. The brown cloak shifted in the breeze.
"The Professor was the one that's been keeping the truth from you. He knows the about what happened, he just chose not to tell you."
There was a brief silence as they all considered this revelation.
Kurt shook his head in bitter disbelief, his furred face disfigured by a sneer of contempt. He gave a hard laugh. "You know," he told her "For a moment there, you almost had me going." He turned and began to stalk angrily away. "Forget this, I'm going."
Mystique watched him go. "It's the truth!" she called after him desperately, "He knows about the genetic experiment!"
Kurt paused, mid stride, frozen in horror. His mouth hung open slightly, his eyes wide and unblinking. The word hung in the space between them, slicing through his ears like a blade.
Experiment.
Oh-God-please-don't-let-it-be-true-oh-God-please-don't-let-it-be-true-oh- God-please-don't-let-it-be-true
He swallowed, turning slowly. "Experiment?"
Mystique nodded. "Yes."
He trembled, mind clouded with doubt. "The Professor would have told me."
"You don't sound very sure about that."
"You're just messing with my head."
She stood motionless, more shadow than human. "You wanted to know the truth, Kurt," she told him quietly, "And I'm giving it to you. Whether you believe me or not, that's your decision."
Kurt swayed uncertainly on his feet. His head was swimming. He had thought that he had wanted to know all of this, but now all he wanted was to hold his hands over his ears and block out the sound of her voice forever. His eyebrows pulled together in a look of hesitation.
"There's more, but it won't be easy for you to hear."
More? Kurt wasn't sure if he could take anymore. Just that one word, 'experiment', had already sent his world upside-down.
She paused, pale eyes lowered to the ground. Her dark lips opened and closed several times, trying to find the right words, but finding none.
"Kurt, you have a sister."
The young boy visibly sagged a little. His entire lithe frame was shaking; breath coming in short, uneven takes. Surprisingly, he laughed.
"Well, that's a new one I guess." He glanced up at her, daring her to meet his gaze. "So? Come on then, who is it? A name, an age, a home email address --- come on, what have you got for me?"
He paused. He was talking fast and shrill, it didn't sound like his voice, not even to his own ears.
Mystique shook her head sadly and looked up at the two mutants. To both their surprise, tears were streaming down her azure cheeks, hot and unashamed. "I'm so sorry. I never meant-"
"WHO IS IT?!" Kurt roared.
Mystique pressed her dark lips together.
"Its Rogue."