Title: Dependant
Author: Bazzer
Rating: PG-13 (For now)
Pairings: Marie/Bobby, implied Marie/John, Scott/Jean, one-sided Jean/Logan, I guess I should put in Ororo/Kurt
Story Summary: Rogue may be the only one able to find Jean, but what happens when she goes missing, and John's the only person who know how to find her. There's one problem. He's in a coma.
Chapter Summary: Teed comes up with a plan for Rogue, Scott and Bobby talk as well as Logan and John, and Hank discovers something about Rogue's mutation.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, please don't sue.
~!~!~!~
Teed looked down at the single manilla folder that laid listlessly on his desk. It was a special project sent to him by a man named Trask, a project involving mutants. Apparently this man was attempting to get government funding for a program pertaining to the complete registration of mutants.
What he needed from Teed was a prototype mutant so show as an example of the uses of mutants in military format in order to...acquire...more mutants for registration. If this failed he would turn to machines, the Doctor would comply.
Teed pondered, a mutant to catch mutants. Paradoxical, but interesting nonetheless. It would have to be a powerful mutant, one that could withstand most mutational attacks, and he knew of none that existed.
Not yet, anyway.
Smiling to himself he pressed the button in the intercom on his desk, "Doctor Riviera, prepare the White Room with test subject Carol Danvers."
A crackled replied came back, "Put Unit X in there, as well?"
"Not yet. Then get Mutant 849."
"Michael? The self-healer?"
"Correct, and then prepare the Adamantium Chamber."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, and doctor?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Gather as much of Stryker's ... elixir as you can find, I fear that X may not agree with what I must do."
"Right away, sir." There was a click on the other end of the connection as Dr. Riviera broke the line. Teed too turned off the intercom, then again picked up the manilla folder, stamped across the front in government red was: 'Project: Soldier X - Top Secret'
Smiling down as he traced the words with his stubby fingers, sarcastically talking to himself, "Your father would be so proud," and then as an afterthought, "Marie."
~!~!~!~
Scott couldn't sleep, he was too, well he was something. Was he excited? Was he scared? Was he anxious? Yes, he decided, he was anxious. Anxious to find his student, Rogue. Anxious to get Bobby, Kitty, and Jubilee to pay attention in class again. Anxious to get Magneto's agent out of his home.
And more importantly, he was anxious to get his fiancé back.
His mindless wanderings brought him unconsciously to the kitchen, and onto the equally sleepless Iceman and a gallon of chocolate ice-cream.
He grabbed a warm pop from the cabinet and handed it to Bobby, who barely touched it and it was cold. Cyclops raised an eyebrow clear over his glasses. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked straddling the seat on the opposite side of the floating isle.
"Probably aren't worth that much."
"Try me."
"I was just thinking about what John had said."
"Look, Bobby, you need to ignore him. He's going to say anything to get under your skin, trying to get you upset-"
"No!" Iceman stood and slammed his fists down on the counter. "No," he repeated calmer, "No, he's right. I don't know anything about her." He sat back down and running his finger through his hair he mumbled a 'sorry.'
"Well, what do you know?"
"Next to him? I know jack shit."
"No, not next to him. On your own, what do you know?" Scott shrugged, "What's her favorite song?"
"'I Believe' by Diamond Rio."
"Favorite colors?"
"Emerald green and silver."
"What does she want to do with her life?"
"She wants to be a teacher, and an X-man."
"What's her real name?"
"Marie."
"Then you do know something about her."
"Nothing important."
"How do you feel about her?"
Bobby looked up at his mentor, confusion passed against his icy blue eyes, "I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
"Then that's all you need to know." Scott stood, his soda forgotten, "You have the rest of your lives to figure out the past and the future. But for know concentrate on the present." He was about to walk out the way he came in when a thought struck him, "Promise me something, Bobby."
"What?"
"When we get her back, don't let her walk away without a fight. You're going to face a hell of a lot of shit and heartache, but promise me you won't give it up without a fight."
"It?"
"Love, Bobby, don't give up your love."
"I promise, I promise I'll fight," and Scott was gone. Bobby sat there for a second, seemingly paralyzed to the spot, then he got up and put the ice-cream away, suddenly not hungry, and followed his role model.
~!~!~!~
"Doctor Teed? How long do you wish for us to hold the transaction?"
He seemed to actually think the question over, but for he asked a question instead of answering directly, "How long was our longest transaction?"
"One minute and seventeen seconds, sir."
He saw the look in Rogue's eyes and simply stared at her, it was a test of wills, and Teed knew how to break her. "Three minutes, Doctor, hold the transition for three minutes."
"But sir, the mutant it was on, she, well sir, she was barely alive when we pulled them apart."
"I understand that."
"But, sir, three minutes," he opened his hands, showing he was at a loss of words, but Teed continued to look Rogue in the eyes, "Sir, three minute, well that would... Sir, that would."
"Let me put it this way Doctor Riviera, when you remove the hand of test subject Carol Danvers from the arm of test subject Unit X, I only want one of them to be breathing."
For a moment he briefly looked to his associate, and thought the younger man might have stood up to him, then a "Yes, sir."
Teed returned his gaze to Rogue who, much to his hidden surprise, stared back at him evenly.
Don't you get it, he thought to himself, I'm using you to kill someone. But no, you aren't surprised are you? Because you already knew.
~!~!~!~
Scott and Bobby were not the only two sleepless and walking around that night. Logan prowled the halls like a guard dog, in an attempt to compensate for the night he should have been prepared for. He did it often and sometimes was joined by Bobby, but tonight he was alone.
The dorm area was secure and he was on his way down to the Danger Room for a few simulations when the sound of grunts and the merciless pounding on a bag designed for that purpose. His investigation brought him to the work out room, more specifically the mats in the center in which a punching bag hung from the ceiling.
"I'm not one t' follow the rules, but using our equipment t' train t' fight against us is pretty high in the 'Don't' list."
John was not amused, he brought his fists down harder against the synthetic skin of the exercise equipment. "Bite me," he grounded out in a 'piss-off' voice.
There was a growl from behind him and he turned his head slightly to see Logan barring his teeth in a snarl, "Want my advice, pick a different phrase."
John turned his body fully to the older mutant, Wolverine was more surprised that he didn't seem afraid of him, "Go ahead," he replied opening his arms to a completely defenseless position, "I'm in need of a good penance." When Logan simply stared at him, he grew bored easily and turned back to resume his punching.
"For what?"
"I broke a promise."
"What?"
He spun on his toes to face the other man, anguish etched deeply into his features, "I broke a promise! I swore to her, I swore that I would keep her safe, that I would protect her! And what happens? She gets taken when she's with me!" He brought his hands up helplessly, then set them back to his sides. Fists tight in an attempt to ward off tears.
Logan remained outwardly placid, "From what?"
Here John gave him a bitter laugh and a shrug, "Life, her dream's, Magneto," a sardonic smile, "Reality."
"That seems a bit impossible."
John looked him directly in his eyes, and Logan almost gasped at the turmoil raging behind the boys brown eyes, "Not with good incentive."
A silent connection seemed to pass between the two of them in that moment, but soon John was unable to stand the look in the other's eyes and turned away once again. "Is there something you what or did you just feel like interrogating someone?"
"I wanted to talk to you about what you said in Xavier's office. What you said to Bobby."
"If your looking for an apology, you can just leave now."
"Apology for what? I don't think you were wrong."
John's shoulders went up and froze with a realization, "You don't like him."
"Doesn't mean I like you. I don't like anyone that looks at Rogue the way he does."
"You must not like a lot of people."
"Not really, the kid's just too much of a ...teenager, with... hormones and shit."
"I sense a 'but.'"
"But-"
"I'm fucking psychic."
"You shouldn't joke about that, especially around here. As I was saying, but he's good for Rogue. He can offer her a better life, a safer one, one that's going to help her out more than-"
"Than if she was with me?" John balled his fists, as he guessed at what Logan was attempting to get at. "You don't think I know that?" He barely gave Logan a moment to respond, "I know that he's better for her than I am. GOD Dammit, Logan! You don't think I've tried to stop loving her?!"
Seeming to get fed up with the conversation John began to storm out of the room, "I've tried, Logan, God knows I have. But believe me it's easier to stop the world from turning."
And as John left the room, Logan was still in the same spot he'd been in since he first walked in, a stunned silence over taking him. And a new found, and well hidden, respect for the Pyro that just walked out, was settling in the back of Wolverine's emotions.
~!~!~!~
Doctor Henry 'Hank' McCoy was not easily stumped, he never had to BS his way through a paper, and always had an answer to the most rhetorical questions.
But, dammit, this was completely past his mental capability. In all honest the 'pains' that had over taken both John and Bobby were completely and totally, well, unrealistic. And the fact that they both knew that the pains were from Rogue was not helping him in any way.
Before him laid three different manilla folders, something akin to permanent records, each belonging to Rogue, Iceman, and Pyro, respectively. They detailed and outlined the sources and effects of the individual mutations.
He pushed Rogue's file back and brought up both of the boys, Bobby said he felt cold all over except it felt as if his heart was on fire, and John was the exact inverse. They were possible the most opposite boys Hank had ever meant and yet found a common interest in the girl. Who Henry found both beautiful and fascinating, and quickly found the reason both boys, on different ends of the spectra, found a happy medium in her.
With a sigh of exhaustion, he pushed both of the files back and brought the girl's file forward. She was the connection, the reason behind the intense emotion of the two others.
But why?
They both had feelings for her, that was easy enough to see. Which loved her more was as lost to him as the reason he was sitting there. Both had grudgingly admitted to making skin contact with the girl at least once in the week before she'd been kidnaped.
Bobby in a kiss goodbye, John in holding her as cried about her dreams. Which would explain why John's reaction was more severe. With a groan he began to reread the file before him, for what must of been the fortieth time.
He'd been resisting the urge to bang his extremely intelligent head against the desk, and finally gave in. Pulling back he groaned again. Then reached forward to retrieve his glasses, which had fallen off. His eyes snagged the partial sentence enlarged by the frames.
Admittedly retains voices. . . deepest recesses of her mind.
He must have missed the sentence, or had not found it important. He picked up his glasses, and read the full sentence. Admittedly retains voices with in the deepest recesses of her mind from the people that she have absorbed. Admits that even after several years the presences continue to speak to her.
Well, that didn't seem normal. Voices were normally, well maybe not, a sign of a telepathic mutation. He scratched his chin, and read the small note written next to the paragraph in Jean's handwriting.
Suffers from frequent nightmares pertaining to the memories she absorbs.
He'd heard of telepathists reaching into others dreams and bearings witness to them. But why would an absorbers mutations find reference in the happenings of a telepath. Unless, most absorbers found a way to control their mutations because it's purely physical.
Rogue's lack of control was one of the first things that jumped out at him. Usually the absorber never came in contact with the other's psyche, but Rogue obviously did, and for an extended amount of time.
Fact was Rogue did not follow normal protocol for an absorber, she had more qualities in common with a telepath, a psychic.
Hank rubbed his throbbing forehead with the palms of his large hands. This was just getting more confusing, Rogue had the physical aspects of an absorber and the mental aspects of a telepath, as if she was a crossbreed. It was not common, but heard of for a mutant to have more than one mutations. But to have two incomplete ones were unheard of by him.
Unless it wasn't natural. Unless her mutation had been tampered with. He bit the inside of his cheek as he rubbed his over-sized hands together furiously. He'd heard from John's testimony that's she'd been experimented on after her mutation emerged.
But that wouldn't entail the continual voice of the first one she absorbed. She would have to have been experimented on before her initial memory began.
She was a hybrid, so to speak, and Hank was almost positive of the fact. He picked up a pencil and pulled Rogue's file closer to himself. At the top of the first page next to Marie 'Rogue' D'Acanto he scratched out Absorber and replaced it with Touch-Telepath.
He sat back, slightly satisfied with himself. This would also partially explain the original mystery. If Rogue was as he expected then both John and Bobby resided in her mind. She would more than likely reside in both if there minds. But because they didn't have telepathic qualities they were not fully aware of it.
If Rogue had been in an immense amount of pain then both John and Bobby would feel it. Since they were the last two to touch her. It was merely a high-powered psychic blast.
Hank leaned back wards in his chair, he folded his hands over his chest in a content manner. Smiling he gently propped his feet up on the desk, carefully avoiding the records.
He nearly fell out of his chair when he realized that had it been a psychic blast it would have happened in their heads not in their hearts. But then again maybe she didn't reside strongest in their heads, but in their hearts.
Maybe it wasn't mental or physical, maybe it was emotional.
~!~!~!~
The setup was just as it had been for all of the absorptions she'd endured before, except Teed and his entourage decided to hide behind the one-way mirror, just in case.
Except nothing out of the ordinary happened. After two minutes Carol stopped screaming and at two minutes twenty-six seconds she stopped breathing. Rogue had not fought it and all except the way she arched her back when first in contact she did not move.
Teed throughly disappointed sent in seven armed guards to prepare her for the absorption of the next test subject. He realized too late that while he'd been occupied with watching Danvers Rogue had snapped the steel bands holding her arms down.
Her fist had crumpled the sheet of metal that they wrapped around like so much paper. Knowing it would be too late he slammed his fist down on the intercom button, yelling at the to get their ass out of there.
But was no use as soon as the door hissed closed, Rogue was up and throwing them into the walls, strength that was not hers and anger that was made her impossible to take down.
"What are you waiting for!?" he yelled at the remaining guards pointing a wrinkled finger through the window at the girl on the verge of killing the men with her, "SEDATE HER!"
They appeared at the door, openly firing at her. But the bullets bounced harmlessly off her, and she walked toward them. Behind her one of the first set of guards was able to get a syringe filled with Stryker's liquid, he sneck up behind her while the others kept her busy with the guns.
Oblivious to Teed yelling at him, he attempted to jam the metal end into her neck. Which immediately bent itself into a jagged line, never penetrating her skin. She turned to him slowly, bullets continually bouncing off if her back.
The pure rage in her eyes, now a deep blue with brown flecks, caused the man to drop the syringe, his hands shaking uncontrollably.
But before she could take another step toward him Dr. Riviera came from behind and slid a metal collar on around her neck. She weakened immediately as Teed had already started the machine. The collar began to throw sparks at her mutation fought off being shut down, and the console next to Teed began to smoke.
With a final attempt to gain control Rogue brought her hands languidly up to her neck, the machinery in the observation room caught fire but was put out, all before Rogue finally collapsed.
~!~!~!~
Xavier screamed out in pain as he quickly pulled Cerebro's helmet from his head. Setting it down he rubbed his temples in a futile attempt to ward off the pain, but it didn't not happen.
Behind him the doors swished open and Ororo ran to him, she'd stayed with him the entire night, a self sacrifice to begin to reconcile for her self-titled sin.
"Charles? Charles, what happened? Are you okay?"
With a smile he looked up at her, the pain slowing draining away from his head, "It was an immense show of strength, Ororo." Her sleek eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "She broke the psychic field surrounding her, Storm."
Ororo knelt down in front of him, blinking, "Professor?" she began letting the question hang in the air.
Reaching forward he grasped her shoulders, "New Mexico, Ororo, she's in New Mexico. I found her."
He was not prepared when Ororo threw her arms around his next, a joyous sound erupting from her mouth. Xavier wasn't sure who began crying first, but he knew he was the first to laugh in joy.
~!~!~!~
Well, there you have it.
But I do need your help, see I have two different ending ideas in my head, one's with Rogue ending up with John and the other is her with Bobby. So I just want to know who you want her to end up with.
OH YEAH! To those of you who guessed that the pic was titled such because it was taken before Bobby and Rogue were official were correct. To make it more clear, it was after she came to the school, but before she dated Bobby. I was just trying to establish a friendship (or more) before Bobby.
