Title: A Stranger's Touch: Allied Strangers
Rating: PG
Summary: A bond between two people can take many years to develop. Or a
few weeks. [First part in what will hopefully be a series]
Type of fic: Story
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and places are not mine. They
belong to Marvel and/or Marvel Studios, WB, Film Roman (I think), and whoever
else claims rights to them.
Distribution: FF.net and Random Thoughts. All else, please just ask.
Author's notes: Sorry there's quite a bit, and with more to probably
follow!
#01 - / denotes psychic thoughts /
#02 - This is pretty much - and very much - an AU story, however a lot of the
stuff that's happened in Seasons One and Two WILL be included. Not all, but
some.
#03 - My accent-writing ability extends only to "Ah" and "mah". I suck
at it majorly.
#04 - This story is under the assumption that the Brotherhood members do NOT
know that Mystique and Ms Darkholme are the same person, and that it was
Mystique who recruited all the members. Remember - AU.
#05 - Thanks to wolviesgal's
Home Page
for the use of transcripts.
***
Allied Strangers
Chapter Five
As Mystique walked towards the Principal's office, a figure caught her attention. She stopped, her eyes narrowing. Rogue stood before her open locker, seemingly frozen, her head turned and her attention focused on something. Or someone.
'Wow. Y'all really look out for each other, don't you?' she asked. She sounded both wistful and mocking.
'Yeah. Yeah, we do that.' Scott Summers.
At she recognised the voice, Mystique made her presence felt. 'What's going on here?' she demanded, stepping forward.
Rogue whirled around, hugging her books to her chest as she turned fearfully to face her. 'Nothing!'
'We were just talking, Principal Darkholme,' Scott said, looking as if he wanted to step forward and protect the girl.
Mystique stared hard at Scott, then glanced down at Rogue. 'Then you had best stop your talking and get to class. Have I made myself clear?'
'Yes, ma'am,' Rogue said.
Scott ignored her completely, and instead turned towards Rogue. 'Hey, don't forget. In the park after school, and bring the playbook with you.'
Mystique watched the girl closely as she assented with a murmur. A hint of a smile seemed to gently curve the girl's dark lips as she watched Scott Summers walk away. Rogue's eyes flickered once more to face the Principal's before she slammed her locker shut and hurried away.
Mystique narrowed her eyes, not liking what had just happened between the two young mutants. Or the implications of Scott's parting words. Something had to be done.
*
'Nice work, Blob,' Mystique said, unable to stop the smirk from appearing on her face. 'You took down Jean Grey.'
The huge kid turned to look at her, a worried look on his face. 'I think she's really hurt. We gotta help her!'
'Oh no, Fred,' Mystique countered. 'Didn't you ask her out before?'
'How did you-'
'And didn't she say she was your friend?' she continued. 'Now then, Fred, if she was really your friend she would go out with you, don't you think? And after you asked so nicely.'
'But it looks like she's out of it,' Fred protested, but looking excited at the prospect of a date with Jean Grey.
'Think how much she'd appreciate waking up to a nice date already prepared. Dinner and dancing, and lots of candles. Girls like candles, Fred. Candles are romantic.'
A dreamy look had come over the boy's face. 'Yeah, and Jean would love me, wouldn't she?'
Mystique rolled her eyes, knowing that Fred wouldn't take notice. 'Yes, Fred. Now, I know the perfect place for your perfect date.'
'Come and get her, Summers,' Mystique thought spitefully, her mind on the two teenagers soon to be meeting in the park. 'Come and rescue your precious Jean Grey.'
*
She giggled. 'The girls are right. You are a charmer.'
Taken aback by the sound of her giggling, Scott retorted with, 'Look, I'm just reading the lines, okay?', and wished that he could have taken it back.
Rogue lost her smile, and she looked away. 'Yeah, I know. It's just, sometimes…I wish…'
He looked intently at her, silently urging her to finish her sentence. When she didn't, he prompted her. 'Wish what?'
A look of frustration crossed her face. 'I wish…I could get close to somebody.' She sighed, staring down at the table. 'But you know what happens when I do.'
Scott lifted a hand, about to reach over and touch her when the familiar *Bamf!* of a teleporting Kurt stopped him.
'Ooh! Tender moment here?' Kurt grinned. 'Sorry to interrupt.'
Scott wanted to wrap his hands around the kid's furry throat. For the briefest moment Rogue had opened herself up to him, and he saw a glimpse of the scared and lonely girl from Mississippi.
'I swear, he's like an annoying little brother,' she said, irritated. Kurt stuck his tongue out at her, and it was then Scott noticed that he was in uniform.
'What's the problem?' he asked, trying not to get too worried just yet.
'Jean's been nabbed,' Kurt said, almost matter of factly.
All thoughts of Rogue and Mississippi flew from his mind as he reached out and grabbed Kurt by the shirt. 'What?'
'Easy on the exquisite costume, mein freund! Wolverine's on the scent but I'm supposed to collect you.'
Scott knew exactly who had her, and he hit the table in fury. 'Blob! If he's hurt her, I'll-' He broke off as he noticed Rogue looking down on the ground. Too immersed with thoughts of Jean being kidnapped by the Brotherhood members, he glared at the girl. 'You know anything about this?'
Rogue's head snapped up, her eyes flashing. 'No! And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!'
He believed her, unsure of why he should. But he did, and he felt a little of his anger disappear. Yet he couldn't help having the last word. He wanted her to think about her team mate's actions. 'Then I hope you can live with your conscience.' He turned to Kurt. 'Teleporter to maximum, Mr Wagner.'
*
Hard as she tried, Rogue couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. She had been bored with the play, but being with Scott had been strangely comforting. Kind of like with Lance… And before she had known it she was revealing her deepest secrets to him, and all he'd had to do was look at her.
Fortunately, the blue kid showed up when he did. Rogue wasn't sure how much more she would have spilled had he not arrived. Already she was regretting having said too much, especially since Scott forced her to remember their situation. He was X-Men, she was Brotherhood.
'Or should that be Sisterhood?' she murmured, allowing herself a wry grin.
They were on opposite sides of the fence. They were opponents, rivals. Enemies. Enemies were not supposed to have fuzzy feelings for one another.
'Why does he have to be so damned cute anyway?' Rogue sighed, finally admitting to herself that she liked him. 'And why is he always being so nice to me?' She remembered his earlier accusations. 'Well, most of the time anyway.'
But there was Little Miss Perfectly Popular herself, Jean Grey. Perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect smile, perfect make up, perfect grades, perfect friends, perfect personality, probably perfect family.
'Ah bet she even pukes perfectly too,' she muttered darkly.
Rogue could tell how much Scott liked Jean, even if Scott didn't realise it himself yet. He was so protective of her, and the way he had gotten angry when he found out that she was in trouble. For the briefest instant Rogue wished she was in Jean's shoes, just to know how it felt to have Scott charging in to rescue her.
'Even that ice cream stealer likes her,' she said out loud. At the mention of the newest Brotherhood member, Rogue remembered why it was that Scott had run off in such a hurry. Fred had taken Jean.
Scott's words echoed in her head: Then I hope you can live with your conscience.
'Ah lived with it fine until you came along, Scott Summers,' Rogue said irritably. 'And why should Ah care about what happens to your stupid girlfriend? It's not like you really care about what Ah think anyway. You'll save her, and she'll be fine, and everything will be back to perfect again and you won't even bother to talk to me anymore.'
She hated how bitter she sounded, but she couldn't help it. Scott's sudden niceness towards her was confusing. She considered his attempts to ask about homework the previous afternoon before Kurt, once again, had interrupted. He had seemed amiable, friendly. Then she considered the Scott – Cyclops – who had tried to hurt her in Mississippi. Was he being nice to her now as an X-Geek plan of some sort? Did he still want to hurt her?
Rogue stood up from the park bench, hugging her textbook to her chest. She noticed Scott's book sitting on the opposite bench, and hesitated. Unsure of why she did it, she reached out and took his as well. She walked away, heading towards home.
/ Wolverine has the location. I'm transmitting coordinates. /
Rogue jumped at the voice in her head, then turned wildly from one side to the other looking for who it could belong to. She was alone in the immediate area. She waited uneasily for anything else, but only heard the aforementioned coordinates. It was a strange feeling, and it creeped her out. It was like the voice had been in her head. She had the feeling that she would have still heard the voice had she been deaf.
And Wolverine…? He must be the X-Man who had attacked her first while she had been in Cody's room. The X-Geeks were rescuing Jean, the coordinates were her location.
'Ah don't care, okay?' she yelled out, addressing the sky. 'Ah don't care what happens to her!'
But despite her words, Rogue changed her course and started the other way.
end part five.
