"Why are you keeping me in this room, Xavier?! I came here willingly to help you!"
Lunging from her bed along the wall opposite the one Kitty had just phased the Professor through, Mystique finally demanded an answer to the question that had been brewing inside her in the two hours since her son Kurt had teleported her into the window and door-less room.
"I apologize for this, Mystique, but when we chose this room for you we anticipated you refusing any of our hospitality. Now, I'm afraid, I must keep you in it for your own protection."
"Protection?! From your mess of brats and kiddies who wouldn't kill a fly?"
"No. From Logan who has become Rogue's lover."
"Lover?!"
Gasping the word, she stumbled backward away from Xavier before bumping against the edge of the bed and falling back onto it.
Her mind whirling with the ramifications of her adopted daughter partnering herself in such a way to the Wolverine, she made no effort to scramble back to her feet.
Three little words in the Professor's simple statement shattered all the neatly laid plans she had come here with. Plans she could never see through if Rogue had chosen to place herself as the Wolverine's mate.
Perhaps there was still hope that she could –
~~Not a chance, Mystique. I see we were all right to be suspicious of your unusual cooperation and my apology for placing you in this room is withdrawn.~~
That statement, spoken firmly into Mystique's mind, preceded the Professor's urging Kitty to phase them back through the wall.
Damn Damn Damn!
She jumped up again to pace the 10' x 12' room, filled only with such basics as a bed, toilet, sink, and showerstall.
She'd searched and found no possible exit. The only way in or out was with the powers possessed by Nightcrawler or Shadow Cat. Even if she could find a way to reach them the tiny vents that allowed air to circulate in the room looked immovable and too small for her to get through in any comfortable form.
She was trapped.
Imprisoned again as a result of the actions of these damned do-gooders.
Focusing away from the claustrophobic fear that pressed upon her at those thoughts, she began to dwell on the consequences of Logan's involvement in Rogue's life.
If he cared for the girl at all, Mystique life was in grave danger for what she had already done and it would be brought to a swift painful end if he ever learned what she had planned.
How could Irene not have seen this coming?
It destroyed everything!
Even if Mystique got her "daughter" into the weak state she'd intended with the gift of the collar, Rogue would turn to Logan and Mystique would have no opportunity to manipulate the girl away from here forever.
No. She mustn't think so negatively.
It may take longer, but somehow she would form another plan to gain control of Rogue and harness the girl's awesome power to absorb and use the abilities of anyone she touched. To have such a weapon in her arsenal - a weapon that could utilize all imaginable powers at once - was essential to Mystique's plans for mutantkind.
~~Your negative thoughts are correct, Mystique. Know that the X-Men will do all that is in our power to protect Rogue from you and that power is considerable. She is home here. She is loved. Nothing you can do now will change that. Your plans will fail.~~
~~I will find something, Xavier. I always do.~~
~~Just as I always thwart you, Mystique.~~
That he uttered the thought calmly as simple fact and not some kind of taunt to goad her had Mystique cutting off all her thoughts and slamming a fist into the wall. Rage filled her at the realization that none of her thoughts would be private while she was here. She could do no planning, make no moves to achieve her goals. She had to be on her best behavior and never once let her thoughts stray to the vital memories of her past or any hint of her plans – with and without Rogue - for the future.
Those facts weighed heavily upon her and she realized she had made a grave error in coming here. For once in her life she was the first to admit that she'd bitten off more than she could chew.
~*~*~
"Well?" Logan and Marie demanded of Hank at the same time in the lab.
"I appear to be finding only good news."
Logan snarled at that vague answer and would have lunged at the blue man if she hadn't held him back.
Marie.
Her real name, known only to him, whispered through his body and calmed his spirit for a moment.
He turned his face to nuzzle against her bare neck and growl into her ear before turning back to glare intimidatingly at Hank.
"Ok, settle in for a bit because this is going to take some explaining."
Taking the scientist at his word, Logan climbed up on the exam table Marie still occupied, moved into a reclining position behind her with his legs parted and on either side of her body, wrapped her in his arms and pulled her tightly against his chest.
"I've only had two hours to look over a fraction of the computer files Mystique provided for us, but that hardly scratches the surface. Combined with the results of the tests I've been doing all day, though, I think we have enough to relax. Let me begin with where all this came from.
"The underground lab the team found tonight was a research facility that was under contract to the government – hence it's obscure and secret location – but unlike operations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and other mutant experiment projects, this one was run by a good man. A scientist by the name of Harold Kent, who I'd actually met before his death some eight years ago, that did his research to help everyone involved in the issue. He realized that mutations that were harmful to humans were also harmful to the mutant it existed in and working to prevent or control the negative aspects had been the focus of his life's work.
"The collar Rogue was given appears to have been a very early prototype of such devices from the beginning stages of Kent's studies. As his work progressed he realized that the lead in that collar, as it was mixed with the other metals and chemicals in the complex concoction that made the item, had a reaction to the wearer's skin and ultimately effected their X-gene if they had one. That much we had gathered on our own.
"There are two years of documented research on various mutants that tell us exactly how serious the effects are. For every hour after the reaction to the skin develops – that's the residue building up then rubbing off onto the skin – that the residue remains on the skin, the power of the X-gene is decreased by one quarter of a percent. It's a minuscule reduction that has no real effect in small doses, but over time it will cause the mutation to cease working altogether. From her tests and the time we can estimate the residue was on her, the potency of Rogue's gene has decreased by roughly 5%. The lemon juice mixture I used to remove all traces of the residue has worked to stop anymore of the chemicals from entering her system and there appears to be no further lessening in her genetic code. The damage already done will likely be permanent, but she's very young and there is a chance that over time the cells lost could be regenerated."
"But that's not bad news is it? Ah mean, Ah'm gonna be ok, aren't I?" Marie asked.
"Yes. For any truly noticeable or potentially dangerous change, I'd estimate the collar would have to be worn without removal for weeks not the relatively few hours you wore it. As things currently stand, the effects of your wearing it for that length of time are a great bonus. I've seen that Logan and you have discovered that your skin is much slower to respond to contact with another's."
"So if I wear the collar even longer, I'll be able to touch even more until eventually my skin stops reacting at all?"
"Yes, but we still have no way of knowing the long-term risks involved in doing that. Kent's research did not continue long enough to really explore more than effects over a five-year span."
"But I could use it to slow the mutation even more? I could do that and get my skin to a controllable level and not do any harm, right?
"I can only speculate. Over time, the X-gene's strength often weakens itself as the body matures with the mutation. I believe your X-gene is one that will do that. I have to recommend that you allow nature to take its course. There is just too much research into every possible action and reaction or further exposure to do before I could even think of suggesting another course of action."
"Then stop wasting all this time talking and get researching!"
"Marie – "
She turned her attention from Hank to him when Logan spoke her name.
"I agree with Hank, let nature take its course and forget the collar. Consider who gave it to you, darlin'. You have to know there's more to all this than meets the eye. I won't let you play around with it."
"'Play around with it'? I am not playin' here, Logan. Hank is saying that wearing that collar could control mah skin! That is not a game to me!"
"No Rogue, I'm saying that what all these notes seem to theorize and work to prove, but it is all incomplete. Your mutation only manifested a short time ago. It's still new to you and your body. We have every reason to believe that time and more sessions with the Professor will bring the mutation to controllable levels naturally and without any possible risk to you. I know the thought of waiting for that to happen is unacceptable when you appear to have been given an alternative, but even with the information I have here and whatever I find in further research I would recommend going with nature."
"So you're saying you won't even try the other way? You tell me all the things that collar could do – without killing me – and give me hope that I can do something about this mutation that nearly killed me not to long ago and then yank that hope away simply because you 'would recommend going with nature'?" She advanced on the scientist. "FUCK nature! Nature would see me sucking memories and powers and lives out of people until it all becomes too much for me to ever fight off again. Leaving me to die with God knows how many lives and memories and people fighting to control my body and not one of them being me anymore because I got swallowed up by everyone else inside me somewhere along the horrible journey! I won't go that. If there is a single glimmer of hope or possibility that that future could be changed, you had better do every God damned thing you can to make it happen."
She ended on a sob and threw herself into Logan's arms. Shocked by her passionate words, he automatically hugged her to him and tried to sooth her sobbing body.
He and Hank exchanged a look over her head.
His eyes told the other man to do all the research he had to and make that collar work for his lover or face the slashing fury of his claws.
Hank wasn't bothered at all by the threat in Logan's eyes. It was Rogue passionate fury and pleading demands that had him nodding and turning to begin the lengthy task of learning all he could.
"The research will do no good, Hank." The Professor said quietly, having entered the room unnoticed.
Hank and Logan both turned to stare at the man in his wheelchair.
Ignoring them, he moved to turn the still crying Rogue from her lover's embrace.
He waited for her to calm her emotions until she was staring at him curious at the reason for his actions then urged the girl to kneel before him so that there eyes were on the same level and locked together.
"There is no hope, Rogue. I am so very sorry that I was too occupied with Mystique to stop Hank from saying something without knowing all the facts. Dr. Kent was not the man he appeared to be and Hank, I fear you are one of many mutants to believe the façade he presented to the world. Years ago I was also under the illusion that he was a truly good human who would help the mutant cause immensely. Then I met the man before his death and saw into his mind and true intentions.
"He was filled with hatred for our kind. The files that you have been reading on those disks contain false, incomplete, or otherwise misleading information that was monitored by and sent to the government agency he was contracted to. He never even let on to them the true purpose of his research, knowing that mutants could very likely be within the agency, privy to the information and ultimately bring his operation to a halt. That true purpose was to get humans and mutants alike to believe he had found a way to cure and/or control mutations with simple devices like that collar so that all mutants would rush out to get them.
"We're very fortunate that Rogue's collar was among the first he ever created. It's power was weak and took great lengths of time to have any effect and far too long to have the effect he desired. He was creating the collars to kill mutants and each device he created after Rogue's prototype did so faster and in more horrible ways than the one before it. He killed them all by using certain ingredients in the device to weaken their mutations while all the others worked to destroy the actual body.
"He preyed upon the need to be normal and accepted by humans to keep mutants volunteering for his research. His entries are filled with graphic details of his test subjects' last moments. Had he lived much longer he would have deceived the whole world and brought an end to all mutants. And if you, Rogue, were to wear that collar any more your X-gene would decrease enough to stop being any kind of defense against the havoc it would wreak on your body. Considering the high traces of lead, I've no doubt your brain would have been permanently damage or you would have died from lead poisoning."
Hank and Logan had both moved to stand behind Rogue and give their full attention to all the Professor was saying. As the calm, but somewhat sad flow of words came to a stop, Hank stumbled back to collapse in one of his desk chairs and menacing growls were emanating from Logan's furious body at the knowledge that anyone – human or mutant – could contemplate such a deception let alone carry it out.
An absolutely stunned Rogue was still staring into the Professor clear, concerned eyes with a look of utter disbelief in her own.
The Professor squeezed her hands in his and whispered, "I would give anything for there to be another way, Rogue, but there is not. I am more sorry than you will ever know."
At his heartfelt words, her hands went slack in his and her eyes slid shut. Had Logan not been standing right behind her, she would have hit her head on the floor as she fell backward in a dead faint.
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A/N: This particular chapter fell together kind of roughly and may need further work. What you've read is my third try at exploring the Mystique's gift more in-depth and I think it came out pretty well compared to the other versions. Please critique at will and offer any suggestions you think may improve the piece.
